TechCrunch Startup News Phia raises $35M to ‘make shopping fun again’; plus, Risotto raises $10M seed to use AI to make ticketing systems easier to use
Jan 28, 2026
A shopping startup raised $35M to surface resale and discounts via an app and browser extension. Founders lean on big social followings and plan ML-powered personalized shopping agents. A separate company raised $10M to use AI to autonomously resolve help-desk tickets and sit between ticketing systems and internal tools. Privacy and security concerns around browser extensions also come up.
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Resale-Focused Shopping Drives Rapid Growth
- Phia (FIA) rapidly scaled by surfacing resale and cheaper alternatives to save shoppers money.
- The app pairs sustainability messaging with clear economic incentives to drive adoption and partnerships.
Early Celebrity Backing And Fast Traction
- The founders closed $8M a month before Disrupt with celebrity investors like Kris Jenner and Sheryl Sandberg.
- They reported hundreds of thousands of monthly active users and 11x revenue growth since launch.
Data-Driven Partnerships Overcome Early Skepticism
- FIA monetizes via affiliate-like partnerships and uses conversion data to prove value to brands.
- The company cites metrics like higher average order value and lower return rates to attract retail partners.