When Phia founders Phoebe Gates and Sofia Chianni decided to launch an AI startup, they targeted an area they understood well: online shopping.
The founders, who met at Stanford University when randomly paired as roommates, understood e-commerce because they had spent hours finding the right items to expand their wardrobes. And they realized that AI had the potential to help people discover, shop, and buy in new ways. They also realized that competency was a market opportunity.
“It felt like there was a huge white space, like what to actually buy and why doesn’t everyone have a personal shopper in their pocket?” Gates said on stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 on Tuesday.
The startup was born out of a class project that initially proved demand. But the service wasn’t made available to the public until Phia found the right product-market fit, Kianni said.
The tool, available as a browser extension and app, allows shoppers to compare prices, including second-hand items, adding an element of sustainability to the shopping experience.
Phia says it integrates with more than 150 used platforms and has more than 350 million items in its internal search database. Chianni pointed out that buying used products reduces your carbon footprint by 80% compared to buying new. Plus, it’s cheaper.
Kiani said the service also helps users understand the value of what they buy. “If you’re looking at a $500 handbag at Phia, you know right away if you can resell it for $300 or $400. Or, conversely, if you buy a fast-fashion item for $100, can you only resell it for $10? Does it immediately depreciate and lose 90% of its value?”
The company is also developing an AI shopping advisor that will help users understand fashion basics such as value factors such as bargains and the holding value of a product, and whether an item will fit based on the user’s previous orders and returns. According to the founders, the sizing insights feature is currently in beta for a small number of users.
The founders have used a variety of tactics to attract an audience, including an ambassador program, creating unique content about product development, and even starting a podcast.
“The ability to get hundreds of thousands of downloads through podcasts and various distribution channels at a very low cost was critical,” Chianni said.
Additionally, Gates said sharing the realities of building a startup with viewers helped potential Phia users connect with the founders and their stories.
“I think there was a little bit of ego death that we had to go through,” Gates said. “At first you’re like, ‘I want all my content to look good.’ But if you want people to be interested and you want to create the amount of content you want, you need to be able to pull back the curtain.”
Gates’ father, yes, Gates, admits that she came to the startup experience from a position of privilege, but says she doesn’t necessarily go to Gates for advice.
“So, I think my dad is a genius, but he’s not the one shopping on Fear, right? For example, he’s not looking for the best deals on different sites. He’s not comparing items on his wish list for a spring break trip,” she said.
