Making friends as an adult can be tough, especially after moving to a new city. Luckily, modern technology exists, and more people are turning to apps like Bumble For Friends, Flox, and Timeleft to form new friendships quickly.
One app called Friends aims to stand out by targeting women, transgender, and LGBTQ+ individuals, primarily in the mid-20s to early 40s age demographic.
Les Amis uses AI to pair users with similar interests and encourages them to join local events offered within the app, such as pottery classes, book clubs, wine tastings, and pilates.
Anna Bilych (ex-PayPal) created the app in 2022 alongside her co-founder, Oleg Pashinin (ex-Google AI), after struggling to rebuild her social circle after relocating.
Now the European-founded app is currently rolling out to U.S. markets. It launched in New York earlier this month.
Les Amis (the French word for “friends”) is designed to make it easy for users to connect with like-minded individuals in their area. It features a setup similar to dating apps, where users create profiles by selecting profile photos, writing a bio, and choosing from a list of interests, which include poetry, gardening, yoga, martial arts, and more.
The app includes an AI assistant named “Amis,” which aids in the matching process. Every two weeks, users can participate in matching rounds where the AI connects them with a potential friend based on shared interests. It also connects them to others in similar life stages—whether they’re single, married, a mother, new to town, or even looking to network with someone in a comparable career field.
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The AI determines matches on Mondays, giving users ample time to chat and coordinate meetups later in the week.
Additionally, the app features an explore page for users to sign up for local events and experiences, such as workshops, social gatherings, and recreational activities. It also recently launched “Trips,” where users can travel in groups to destinations like Morocco, Iceland, and the Amalfi Coast.
The app operates on a membership-based business model, with fees that vary by city. For example, the monthly fee is $70 in New York and €55 in Amsterdam. The membership includes a flexible credit system to spend toward experiences, which can be spent in any city where Les Amis is available, enabling members to attend events while traveling.
Friends is available we iOS and Android devices across Europe, including Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Madrid, Milan, Munich, Paris, and Stockholm.
As for U.S. markets, the app was introduced in Austin last May, in addition to New York. Les Amis plans to expand to Boston next, followed by Washington, D.C., next month, and Miami in October. A launch in Los Angeles is also on the roadmap.
It’s important to note that there are currently no Les Amis events happening in New York, but they will soon launch on August 25. The app is still in the application acceptance phase and has received over 2,000 applications from users in New York.
In total, the app touts about 120,000 installs, and around 30,000 women have attended events to date. The company also reports that it has recently reached an annual run rate of $1 million.
