Les Amis brings AI friend-making to US cities

Les Amis brings AI matchmaking and local events to U.S. cities

Finding friends as an adult is hard work — and Les Amis is banking on technology to make it easier. The European-founded app, created in 2022 by Anna Bilych (ex-PayPal) and Oleg Pashinin (ex-Google AI), uses artificial intelligence to pair people with similar interests and life stages, then nudges them toward local events and shared experiences.

Les Amis is explicitly targeted at women, transgender, and LGBTQ+ communities, primarily users in their mid-20s to early 40s. Its profile setup feels familiar to dating apps — photos, bios, and selectable interests like poetry, Pilates, gardening, and martial arts — but the goal is platonic connections and real-world meetups.

An in-app AI assistant named “Amis” powers matching rounds: every two weeks the system connects users with potential friends based on shared interests and similar life phases — whether they’re new to town, parents, single, or career-focused. Matches are announced on Mondays to give people time to chat and plan meetups later in the week.

• Targeted community focus for women, transgender, and LGBTQ+ members
• AI-driven, interest and life-stage matching
• In-app events, workshops, and group travel (“Trips”) to turn matches into shared experiences

Beyond one-on-one matches, the app hosts local activities — pottery classes, book clubs, wine tastings, Pilates, workshops — and sells members credits they can spend on experiences across cities. Recently Les Amis added group travel offerings to places like Morocco and Iceland, blending social discovery with curated trips.

• Austin (May launch)
• New York (rolled out earlier this month; events start Aug 25)
• Boston (up next), Washington, D.C. (next month), Miami (October), Los Angeles planned

Les Amis runs on a membership model with city-based pricing — for example, $70/month in New York and €55/month in Amsterdam — and a credit system to spend on experiences in any city where the app operates. That flexible credit model is designed to keep members engaged while they travel.

Growth so far has been promising for a niche social app: about 120,000 installs, roughly 30,000 women have attended events, more than 2,000 New York applicants are waiting for access, and the company says it has reached an annual run rate near $1 million.

What does this mean for communities and product teams? Matching AI plus offline programming can scale friend-making in urban markets, but success depends on match quality, event curation, safety moderation, and price sensitivity. The app’s focus on specific communities may boost trust and retention, but it also requires careful moderation and localized programming.

Les Amis illustrates a broader shift: social apps are moving from endless swipes to structured, AI-assisted pathways that encourage real-world connection. For city planners, employers, and product teams, the model offers a playbook for turning interest-based matches into sustained communities — provided the technology and events are tuned to local needs.