Phoebe Gates Launches Fashion E-Commerce Tool Phia with Co-Founder Sophia Kianni

Phoebe Gates, the youngest daughter of Bill and Melinda Gates, has co-founded an innovative e-commerce tool named Phia alongside her former Stanford roommate Sophia Kianni. Launched on April 24, Phia is a browser extension and app that compares prices for fashion items, both new and secondhand, across thousands of online retailers. Gates, 22, acknowledges the advantages her background has provided, such as attending Stanford and having the resources to pursue ambitious projects, but she also emphasizes the internal pressure that comes with her name and the expectations it carries. The Phia project aims to simplify the way users shop for clothes online, likening itself to a ‘Booking.com for fashion.’ The startup operates out of a modest office near Union Square, filled with young creatives and a lively, almost chaotic energy typical of early-stage startups. Despite the privilege associated with her last name, Gates is determined to build something meaningful and useful, hoping to carve out her own identity in the tech and fashion sectors. The launch of Phia represents both a personal milestone for Gates and a step forward in tech-enabled fashion retail.