Les Amis: The European App Fostering Female Friendship Debuts in New York

Building friendships in adulthood can be difficult, especially after moving to a new place. Fortunately, technology provides solutions, with many people turning to applications like Bumble For Friends, Flox, and Timeleft to forge new connections quickly.

One standout app, Les Amis, sets itself apart by catering specifically to women, transgender individuals, and LGBTQ+ users, focusing primarily on those in their 20s to 40s.

Les Amis employs artificial intelligence to pair users with similar interests and encourages participation in local events offered through the app, including pottery classes, book clubs, wine tastings, and Pilates sessions.

Founded in 2022 by Anna Bilych (former PayPal employee) and Oleg Pashinin (ex-Google AI), the app was born out of Anna’s desire to reconnect socially after relocating.

Based in Europe, the app recently made its debut in the U.S. market, starting with New York earlier this month.

Les Amis (which translates to “friends” in French) is designed to foster connections among users who share similar interests nearby. It functions similarly to dating apps, allowing users to create profiles by selecting photos, writing bios, and choosing interests like poetry, gardening, yoga, and martial arts, among others.

The app features an AI assistant named “Amis” that aids in the matching process. Users can participate in matching rounds every two weeks, during which the AI suggests potential friends based on shared interests. It also connects users at similar life stages, whether single, married, a parent, new to town, or seeking to network within a specific professional sphere.

The AI completes the matching process on Mondays, giving users enough time to chat and arrange meetups later in the week.

Additionally, the app has an explore page where users can sign up for local events and experiences, such as workshops, social meetups, and recreational activities. It recently launched a feature called “Trips,” which enables users to travel as groups to places like Morocco, Iceland, and the Amalfi Coast.

The app operates on a membership model, with costs differing by city. For example, in New York, the monthly fee is $70, while in Amsterdam, it’s €55. Membership includes a flexible credit system for experiences that can be used in any city where Les Amis is available, allowing members to engage in events while traveling.

Les Amis is available on both iOS and Android across several European cities, including Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Madrid, Milan, Munich, Paris, and Stockholm.

In the U.S., the app was initially launched in Austin last May, along with New York. Future expansion plans include Boston next, followed by Washington, D.C. next month and Miami in October, with Los Angeles also on the agenda.

At present, no Les Amis events are scheduled in New York, but they are set to begin on August 25. The app is currently accepting applications and has already garnered over 2,000 applications from users in New York.

Overall, the app has around 120,000 installations, and approximately 30,000 women have joined events to date. The company has recently reported achieving an annual run rate of $1 million.