From high-tech vibrators to erotic podcasts and lubricants with natural formulas – new startups in the sex industry open up space for a more inclusive dialogue over sex positivity under the seal of innovation
By Sofia Ferreira, Rebecca Herber and Sonja Wind
You may be unfamiliar with the term "sextech," but we can affirm that the chances of you having consumed something from this market in recent years are very high. The reason for that is, especially after the coronavirus pandemic and its mandatory lockdowns, when bringing your Tinder match to a real-life date turned out to be almost an impossible mission, going online to look for a new vibrator or sex toy, became, more than ever, a normal move.
It was about time, we shall admit. And thousands of people around the world agree because the massive increase in sales of sex-related gadgets - in the US alone it was 300 percent when compared to 2019, according to data from Fun Factory, one of the largest e-commerce companies in the industry - was responsible for completely changing the discourse around what we knew as the sex industry.
If in 1902, when the first vibrator was launched the product shared space in-stores with toasters, blenders, and sewing machines, today super hi-tech versions fill the shelves around the world dedicated to wellness. For decades, traditional sex shops dominated this market, offering phallic-shaped vibrators, lubricants, and sex toys always in a discreet way, away from traditional retail. But gone are the days when talking about sex and pleasure was
Fem-techs: Women in charge
The patriarchy makes us think the opposite, but believe it or not, half of the world's population is female. Also, women tend to be the bigger decision makers when it comes to purchases and are the ones spending the most on health-related products. Still, men are most often the standard of measurements in health-related studies and experiments, which leads to disadvantages for women.
“More studies are conducted on erectile dysfunction, which affects only 10 percent of men, compared to studies on menstruation, for example”, says Marina Ratton. She is the founder and CEO of Feel, a Brazilian sex-tech brand founded in 2020 offering natural and vegan lubricants and genital soaps that are specifically formulated for the needs of women based on own research and data. “Fem-techs follow the evolution of science and can meet demands that significantly impact society and even public policies.”
Feel is a so-called “sex-tech”, a sub-brand of “fem-techs”, a branch that emerged to challenge the status quo within the dominance of men in startups in both target focus and CEO positions. "Fem-techs are mostly founded by women, led by women, focused on pursuing technologies for women. The number of women-led startups is small and fem-techs come to change this scenario," says Marina. The new term reflects the growing demand for products explicitly seeking and meeting women’s needs in several areas. These include menstrual and sexual health, but also issues of fertility, pregnancy, motherhood or menopause.
In fact, they are succeeding. In addition to being a pioneer in the field in Brazil, Feel is one of the first in its segment to participate in investment rounds by Wishe Capital fund and startup acceleration programs supported by large companies such as cosmetics giant Grupo Boticário.
But fem-techs go beyond questions of reproduction and health; the fem-tech market has acknowledged women’s genitals are more than her ability to give birth. Just like Feel, sex-techs are all about sexual wellness and sexual pleasure – following new lines of products and new approaches of marketing and branding that aim for female empowerment. "Our goal as a brand is to look at women's integrated health, seeking solutions to make them feel free, comfortable, and safe," says Marina. Besides opening space for women in leading positions and besides giving visibility to women’s needs, sex-techs might also add to closing the so-called orgasm gap.
The orgasm gap: “Cultural ignorance of the clitoris”
“This was amazing” – after-sex-sentences like this are often one-sided, especially in heterosexual relationship. He comes, she is left unsatisfied. Rather than just single unlucky one night stands, this is a structural phenomenon in our society – it even has its own term: the orgasm gap. It describes the inequality between men and women in sexual pleasure, meaning the uneven frequency of orgasms in sexual encounters. Laurie Mintz, a researcher in this area, says in an interview with nbcnews that the reason for this is rooted in “our cultural ignorance of the clitoris”.
Research suggests that women reach orgasms during intercourse around 31-40 percent of the time, while 22 percent of women say they never reach an orgasm. The figures change considerably when clitoral stimulation is included: then the women report that they reach orgasms 51 to 60 percent of the time. No wonder, considering that the external clitoris contains about 8.000 nerve endings.
Nevertheless, orgasms from vaginal penetration are considered the more ideal and the better version of female orgasm. A pervasive myth, as orgasm gap researcher Laurie Mintz finds. She says that in reality “the vast majority of women need clitoral stimulation to orgasm”.
Sextechs, and fem-techs in particular, take on the mission to change the inequality in the bedroom. While it is yet another area in our world, in which a problem or a movement is commercialized and used to make profit, it is important that awareness is raised.
More than just pleasure: sex toys for your health
So, why should you care about your orgasm and bother spending money on a silicon high-tech vibrator? Studies find that there are several health benefits from sexually pleasuring yourself. After all, pleasure is not just fun but also beneficial to both your physical and mental health. The more you get to know yourself and your body, the more you know what gives you pleasure. Ultimately, this can add satisfaction to your life in general and in the bedroom with your partner. If you know what you want, it becomes easier to communicate it to your partner and ask for what you want as well as deny practices that you do not enjoy.
While it is certainly not imperative to buy the hottest sex toy on the market, vibrators and other instruments can help particularly those who have trouble with masturbating and reaching orgasms.
Orgasms: a natural painkiller for period pain
When you experience an orgasm, your body rewards you with a cocktail of feel-good-hormones. Oxytocin, “the hormone of love”, for example, provides a feeling of happiness and relaxation. In combination with serotonin and prolactin this can promote deeper sleep. This is why some studies suggest masturbating before bedtime when having difficulties with falling asleep.
"Several studies show that people with an active and satisfying sex life experience a better quality of life and greater longevity," says sexologist Megwyn White. "Among the benefits of experiencing orgasms regularly are hormone balancing, pain and stress relief, sleep optimization, improved skin luminosity, and immune system boosting," she adds.
But even more so, orgasms can act as natural painkillers. Endorphine can work “in a similar way to drugs like morphine or codeine”, says Megwyn White. This is why masturbation can help relieve physical pain, such as menstrual pain or even migraines.
Fem-techs have opened space in the start-up sphere and are working to close the orgasm gap. But Marina Ratton of Feel wants more. She has plans to introduce new products and consolidations with other startups. To realize them, she aims for more investments. “Men are making efforts to open space for diversity in the startup market, but we still need greater efforts for this universe to be expanded and for us to lead more and more investment rounds”.
