Bill Gates' daughter raised $30 million for her startup, even though Gates himself did not become an investor.

Phoebe Gates, daughter of billionaire Bill Gates, raised $30 million for her startup Phia — an AI-powered online shopping platform now valued at $180 million. Among the project's investors are Hailey Bieber, Kris Jenner, Sheryl Sandberg, and Sara Blakely.

Interestingly, Bill Gates himself did not invest a single dollar in the company, but supported the launch in a unique way — by working as an intern in Phia's customer support service to help his daughter at the start of the project. On LinkedIn, he wrote that the best way to support a daughter's startup is through agreement and personal involvement. In his post, he also shared a video of himself personally answering user questions.

About the Phia startup

Phia is an AI assistant for online shopping, created by Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni at Stanford. The app helps users find the best prices, offers second-hand options and eco-friendly products, and automatically applies discounts. The product's focus is to make shopping convenient, eco-friendly, and personalized.

In eight months, the app was downloaded 750,000 times, making it one of the fastest-growing in the AI shopping category.

Who invested in Phia

Well-known personalities and institutional investors participated in the latest funding round:

— celebrities: Hailey Bieber, Kris Jenner, Sheryl Sandberg, Sara Blakely
— venture capital firms: Notable Capital, Kleiner Perkins, Khosla Ventures, which previously invested in Airbnb and other technology companies.

With $30 million in investments, Phia has become one of the most talked-about companies at the intersection of fashion-tech and artificial intelligence.

Bill Gates' role

Although Bill Gates did not become an investor, he is actively involved in the startup's development as a mentor. He emphasized the importance of understanding the product through direct contact with users, noting that the best way to identify flaws is to work directly with customers.

Source: indiatoday.in