New York City, NY, April 30, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Laila, founded by Kaan Divitoğlu, has officially launched in New York City with a model built around intent-based matching, digital coordination, and AI-driven features currently in development. Designed for the social discovery space, the platform uses planned activities as the foundation for user interaction, creating a more structured way for people to connect around shared plans.
Rather than centering the experience on passive browsing, Laila organizes engagement around user-generated plans. The platform allows users to post proposed activities, browse plans created by others, and connect when mutual interest forms around a specific idea. This gives the app a defined interaction layer built around intent, context, and coordination.
The company is also developing AI-supported tools intended to help users generate activity ideas, discover relevant plans, and coordinate real-world experiences more efficiently. These features are part of Laila’s broader product roadmap as it builds a platform that combines matching infrastructure, verification measures, and planning tools in one digital environment.
Key Platform Features
Laila’s product design is built around the idea that digital platforms can be more effective when they capture what users want to do, not only who they want to meet. By using plans as the core interaction signal, the platform creates a more action-oriented framework for discovery and coordination.
At launch, Laila includes several features intended to support plan-based matching and help users move more directly toward real-world meetings. These include:
- Plan-based matching: Users can create and share or browse plans posted by others, allowing matches to begin around a specific activity rather than profile swiping alone.
- Shared-interest connection: If two users express interest in the same plan, or if one user likes another’s plan and that interest is returned, the interaction becomes a match.
- In-app chat for coordination: Once matched, users can use the platform’s messaging feature to discuss timing, confirm details, and decide whether to move forward with the meetup.
- Profile verification measures: According to the company, Laila vets profiles by cross-checking user information and social media accounts to help confirm that users on the platform are real.
- Flexible location sharing: Users can keep location details broad when posting plans and share the exact venue later through chat once both individuals feel comfortable proceeding.
Together, these features are intended to create a more defined framework for users moving from digital matching to real-world meetings. Organizing interaction around a specific plan helps establish clearer intent early in the process and supports a more direct transition from app-based engagement to offline connection.
AI-Driven Tools in Development
Laila is developing AI-driven features intended to support activity discovery, plan generation, and coordination. These tools are expected to help users identify relevant ideas, reduce the friction involved in planning, and make the platform more responsive to user preferences and local context.
The company’s AI roadmap reflects a practical application of artificial intelligence in consumer social technology. Rather than using AI only for recommendations or engagement, Laila is exploring ways to apply it to planning workflows, helping users move from interest to action more efficiently.
“Laila was built around the idea that technology should make real-world coordination easier,” said Kaan Divitoğlu, Founder of Laila. “Our plan-based model uses intent as the starting point, and our AI-driven features in development are designed to help users generate ideas, coordinate details, and move more naturally from digital interaction to real-world experiences.”
Early Activity in New York City
Laila reports that early activity following its New York City rollout has included more than 10,000 sign-ups and more than 2,000 plans posted on the platform. The company also states that about 44% of matches have led to an in-person meetup, while more than 40% of posted plans have received at least one like. In addition, approximately 67% of sign-ups so far have been women.
According to the company, these early figures reflect interest in a format that places more emphasis on shared intention and real-world planning. In a market where app usage does not always translate into offline interaction, Laila is positioning its launch around the idea that success should be measured not only by matches or time spent in-app, but also by whether users actually meet.
For more information and to download the app, please visit https://laila.nyc.
