How Dwelly is building AI that runs a real-world service business
Please note: this event will be held in Russian.
What if the biggest opportunity in AI isn't selling software to service businesses, but building AI that does the work itself and takes responsibility for the outcome?
Dwelly is applying this model to UK lettings. Instead of creating another software layer for agencies to adopt, the company is building an AI operating system that handles complete workflows end-to-end — tenant communication, applications, maintenance coordination, landlord reporting — with people stepping in where judgment and relationships matter. It deploys that system inside a growing network of agencies it operates directly, which gives its AI real operating environments, continuous feedback, and control over the full workflow.
Today Dwelly runs more than 15,000 properties and $470 million in GMV, making it one of the UK's ten largest lettings operators. Following Dwelly's recent $170m Series B, we're bringing together a curated group of Russian-speaking founders, investors, senior operators and engineers for a candid conversation about what it takes to build and scale vertical AI in a real service business.
This won't be another fundraising interview or polished company presentation. We'll go behind the headline and unpack the decisions, assumptions, mistakes and operating lessons behind Dwelly's growth.
Speaker
Ilia Drozdov
Co-founder and CEO of Dwelly
Ilya will join us for an open conversation about Dwelly’s strategy, acquisitions and the challenge of building an AI-native company inside a traditional service industry.
Dan Lifshits,
Co-founder and CPO of Dwelly,
also joins the conversation to share the product perspective and explain how traditional property-management workflows are being redesigned around AI.
Moderator
Anastasia Izyumskaya
Co-founder of Perfect Strangers
Anastasia is a former TV journalist and presenter at TV Rain and now co-founder of Perfect Strangers, which creates curated founder events and professionally moderated peer groups.
What we’ll discuss
Why did Dwelly choose to acquire letting agencies rather than sell software to them?
What makes a traditional industry suitable for an AI-enabled roll-up?
What happens operationally after a business is acquired?
Which workflows can AI now handle end to end, and where does automation still break?
How does the model change productivity, margins and the amount of capital required to scale?
The format
Founder Deep Dive
A candid, moderated conversation structured around the most important decisions in Dwelly’s journey rather than a conventional chronological founder story.
We’ll look at what the team believed at each stage, where they could have been wrong, what proved harder than expected and which decisions created the greatest leverage.
Curated networking
Before the event, we’ll ask each guest what they’re building, who they’d find useful to meet and what they can offer others.
Based on your responses and public profiles, we’ll create relevant discussion groups and prepare a small number of selected introductions where we see a clear mutual fit.
The structured part of the evening will then continue into informal drinks and networking.
Who we’re bringing together
We expect 50 selected Russian-speaking guests from London’s technology and investment ecosystem, including:
Founders building AI-native or vertical AI companies
Operators exploring acquisitions and roll-up models
Investors in AI-native and technology-enabled services
Senior engineers working on AI systems inside real businesses
Guests are invited through the Perfect Strangers network and selected partner communities.
The aim is to create a founder-heavy room where the conversation continues beyond the stage and where the Dwelly team can meet experienced peers, investors and strong technical talent.
Who this event is for
This evening will be especially relevant if you’re:
building a company where AI is central to the product or operating model
exploring how AI can transform a traditional industry
considering acquisitions as part of your growth strategy
investing in AI-native, vertical AI or technology-enabled services
interested in how AI changes company structure, hiring and unit economics
an experienced engineer interested in building systems that operate inside real businesses
Tickets
Tickets include the full event programme, curated networking, food and drinks.
Early bird - £45
Limited to the first 8 approved guests.
Regular - £55
Final release - £65
A curated guest list
This is a curated event. We review every registration to keep the room relevant, balanced and genuinely useful for everyone attending.
Submitting an application doesn’t automatically confirm your place. Your card will only be charged once your attendance is approved.
About Perfect Strangers
Perfect Strangers creates curated events and professionally moderated peer groups for founders.
We care as much about who is in the room as what happens on stage: carefully selected guests, honest conversations and introductions that remain useful long after the event ends.
Photography and filming
By joining the event, you’re allowing us to capture and share some of the great moments from the evening.
Photos and videos taken during the event may later be used to showcase our community and for Perfect Strangers’ marketing and communications.