Phia raises $35.5M Series A with celebrity-backed angel roster

What's the deal? Phia, an AI-powered shopping app cofounded by Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni, has closed a $35.5M series A funding round. The raise attracted a roster of celebrity investors including influencer Alix EarleDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, LVMHDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → heir Alexandre ArnaultDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, rapper Ice Spice, and actress Sydney Sweeney.

The round comes just over a year after the app launched.

Why now? Phia has built momentum quickly since its debut, landing high-profile backers who double as tastemakers for its target audience. The timing reflects growing investor appetite for AI applications in consumer commerce — particularly those with built-in cultural cachet.

What could go wrong? Celebrity-backed consumer apps face a familiar challenge: converting hype into habitual usage. A star-studded cap table generates headlines but doesn't guarantee product-market fit or long-term retention.

The AI shopping space is also getting crowded, with incumbents and startups alike racing to embed conversational AI into the purchase journey.

The signal: A $35.5M series A just one year after launch — backed almost entirely by angel investors and cultural figures rather than traditional VC firms — underscores a shifting funding playbook where celebrity distribution networks are treated as a viable substitute for institutional lead investors. With both Alix Earle and Alexandre Arnault investing as angels, the round is effectively a bet that influence-driven customer acquisition can outpace the crowded field of AI commerce startups competing for the same wallets.

Read more: wwd.com