Making new connections as an adult, particularly in a new city, can be challenging. Fortunately, innovative applications like Les Amis are emerging to help bridge that gap, especially for women, transgender, and LGBTQ+ individuals between the ages of 25 and 40.
Introducing Les Amis: A Unique Social Networking App
Beginning its rollout in U.S. markets, Les Amis, which translates to “friends” in French, debuted in New York earlier this month. The app leverages artificial intelligence to match users based on mutual interests and promotes participation in local events such as pottery classes, wine tastings, and Pilates sessions.
Founded in 2022 by Anna Bilych, a former PayPal executive, and co-founder Oleg Pashinin of Google AI, Les Amis was born out of Bilych’s struggle to rebuild her social network after moving. This European-rooted app aims to facilitate seamless connections among like-minded individuals in the vicinity.
Features and Functionality of Les Amis
Les Amis follows a familiar format to dating applications, allowing users to create profiles by selecting photos, writing bios, and indicating their interests—ranging from yoga to gardening and more. An AI assistant named “Amis” aids in the matching process, identifying potential friends every two weeks based on shared hobbies and life stages, such as being single, married, or new to town.
Matches are generated on Mondays, providing users ample time to engage and organize meetups during the week. Additionally, the app features an ‘Explore’ page for users to join local experiences, workshops, and social events. Recently, Les Amis also launched a “Trips” feature, enabling group travel to destinations like Morocco and the Amalfi Coast.
Membership and Global Reach
Les Amis operates on a membership basis, with fees that vary according to location; for instance, the monthly fee is $70 in New York and €55 in Amsterdam. Membership grants access to a flexible credit system that can be utilized for different events across cities where Les Amis operates.
Currently, Les Amis is available on both iOS and Android devices in several European cities, including Amsterdam, Paris, and Berlin. After its initial launch in New York, the app expanded to Austin and has plans to reach Boston, Washington, D.C., and Miami, with an eventual rollout in Los Angeles.
Looking ahead, although there are presently no events in New York, they are set to commence on August 25, coinciding with the app’s ongoing application acceptance phase, which has already attracted over 2,000 local applicants. Overall, Les Amis boasts around 120,000 installs, with 30,000 women attending events to date, and reports an impressive annual run rate of $1 million.
