Last year was a turning point for sex technology. For the first time in CES’s decades-long history, the category was not relegated to the dark corners of the showroom floor. This was after a controversial 2019, when the Consumer Tech Association (CTA) withdrew an award from Lora DiCarlo’s Osé sex toy for “Immoral, obscene, indecent or blasphemous.” The resistance made headlines, the award was withdrawn reassigned, and CES 2020 was a “pilot” for sex technology as a category. If things went well, perhaps the CTA would again welcome sex technology exhibitors to the world’s largest consumer electronics trade show in 2021.
And then the pandemic happened.
Overall, last year’s sex technology trial was one good luck. However, it was still unclear whether that momentum would continue at a fully virtual CES 2021 after such a tumultuous year. With the show coming to an end, it’s fair to say that sex technology at CES 2021 was a mixed bag. On the one hand, there were far fewer headlines, and sex tech was still not a searchable category on CTA’s website. On the other hand, well-known brand Satisfyer won two CES 2021 Innovation Awards and no one tried to take them away. But one thing that remains crystal clear is that the sex toy industry is refusing to give up a future where it is guaranteed to have a place at the table and its innovations are taken seriously.
aIt was disappointing that half of the sex tech exhibitors that did attend were bigger brands like Lora DiCarlo and Satisfyer. Smaller or indie brands like Dame, Crave, OhMiBod and MysteryVibe that were on the show last year did not return. (OhMiBod, in particular, has been inconspicuous at CES for years.) That said, there could be a very good reason for that.
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The whole point of CES is that companies not only get press coverage for their products, but also network with investors, other exhibitors in their industry, and the general public. It is possible that some exhibitors did not see a particular need for that this year, given the general lack of buzz for a fully digital CES and strong sales as a result of the pandemic. The increase in sales was especially good for brands with online stores, including many of the sex tech companies that would have gone to CES. For example, Lora DiCarlo claimed that the gearned $ 7.5 million in sales during the past year. I spoke to Satisfyer and Lionness, and both brands noted that they too had noticed an increase in sales.
“Virtual was different. There are fewer people, it wouldn’t have the Vegas touch that the show usually has. But I also saw it as a potential benefit, ”said Liz Klinger, co-founder and CEO of Lionness. “Even if it’s online, it will probably still be the biggest show of the year, even if it’s smaller. For us we are a small company with five people. It is easier for us to get through the noise in this environment than in a personal environment where it is so huge and you can end up in different angles depending on the year it is. “
“You know, I really wish we were on the floor now to have a conversation because it would be much more exciting,” Stephanie Tratchenberg, director of marketing and PR at Satisfyer, told Gizmodo. “But the presence and interaction and excitement we get is certainly still there, even if it’s only virtual.”
“Being virtual this year, I was concerned,” said Jeff Bennett, co-founder and CEO of Morari Medical, who makes a wearable patch to help relieve premature ejaculation. (A blemish plaster, if you will.) ‘But we actually have some media inquiries to talk about what we’re doing before the event even takes place. I think you know, only CES’s success with sex technology last year has calmed people’s fears a bit. This year we have received a good response so far. ”
To be fair, sex tech has an enviable allure and affinity for virtual spaces that other categories may not have.
“Sex technology will generally always make headlines. There is no shortage of sex technology headlines in the media, ”said Bryony Cole, sex technology expert and spokesman for Lovehoney. “It’s a great clickbait and I think in the context of a virtual show – we all saw it last year, it’s really hard to stand out or get to grips with an online conference because people’s attention is elsewhere. can be than on a laptop screen. But sex technology has an advantage, because it’s probably something that people are looking for. “
So if the lack of personal face time wasn’t a devastating blow, what about the CTA itself? Last year, the organization demanded that sex tech exhibitors adhere to it a dress code and an extensive assessment process. Exhibitors were warned against wearing promiscuous clothing, and all promotional materials and images had to be pre-approved by the CTA. And while Satisfyer and Lora DiCarlo had some impressive booths on the show floor, others were tucked away in corners. The hypocrisy of the CTA’s message was an eye-roll-inducing factor as CES had allowed it for decades scantily clad booth babes with little objection.
Klinger told Gizmodo that the CTA also sent a message about dress codes this year, but it’s unclear if this was aimed at sex-tech exhibitors like last year. In any case, it was not nearly as complete as last year.
It is also noteworthy that one of the Satsifyer’s Innovation Awards fell into the software and mobile apps category. It may seem strange to mention progress, but it indicates that sex technology can be considered a mainstream category – not one to be pigeonholed. (Sort of like the Grammy Awards puts hip-hop in its own category.) Maybe it’s also a sign that the category is finally getting recognition for some really clever technological innovations. The Satisfyer Connect app, for example, has quite a few new features. You can control vibration based on ambient noise and playlists, program your own stimulation pattern sequences, sync multiple devices with a partner for simultaneous experiences, as well as a built-in private chat and video.
Still, it’s far too early to say the CTA learned wrong from its ways. As noted earlier, CES 2021 was much more muted than in previous years, in part because it was all online, and because, well, the Capitol riots took place just days before the show started. If and when CES returns to Las Vegas, we’ll have to see how sex tech exhibitors are treated to make a final judgment.
But that does raise some interesting questions. Where does sex technology come from? How is this category evolving, both in terms of society and in the tech industry in general? What innovations can we expect in the future?
From a technological point of view, sex toys can be quite advanced. It’s not all wifi hitting a simple vibrator. For example, Lora DiCarlo’s Osé toy initially won the award for using microrobotics to mimic oral sex. Satisfyer is known for using air pulse technology to stimulate the clitoris in a touch-free way that ‘boosts blood circulation’. The amount of clinical research and beta testing Morari Medical has put into its blemish bandage is comparable to the efforts of other wearable companies.
Cole says we can expect a range of subtle innovations in sex technology, ranging from better insulation and more durable materials to quieter devices and wireless charging. We can already see it Lora DiCarlo “warming” toy, a trend that Satisfyer told Gizmodo was also developing.
“It goes beyond the vibrator,” says Cole, noting that the category beyond the technology itself is also driving the conversation about how people approach sex across genders and sexualities. “Whether that’s air pressure technology, suction cups, or nipple play, but it’s for all bodies – that’s something that comes out that isn’t necessarily just technical, but is more of a social conversation, thinking of different ways in which these products can be used. Like, it is very difficult to reinvent the vibrator, but how can we improve its functions? “
But even while all the sex tech companies I spoke to agreed that the category is becoming more mainstream, we’re not quite there yet. CES is just one event: there are plenty of other tech events that also need to create space for these gadgets, their creators, and the conversations they spark.
“I would say a little over a year ago that we turned down the Samsung Women’s Health Expo because one of the directors who attended the show, who came at the last minute, said, ‘You have nothing to do with the health of women and you’re not a wearable, so you shouldn’t be here, ” Klinger told Gizmodo, noting that the experience was frustrating as Lionness does extensive research and works with doctors to explore the role of sexual pleasure in overall well-being and to examine health.
These experiences also extend to funding. Many sex technology companies founded by women – or startups founded by women in general – are at a disadvantage when it comes to venture capital. In 2019 only 2.7% of venture capital went to female-only founders. The numbers were worse for startups founded by black and latinx women, who received 0.27% and 0.37%, respectively. It was even worse in 2020 when global venture capital funding for female founders declined 27% over the same period in 2019.
“Back in 2018, at a femtech dinner, I was surprised to see how many founders had worked at the table in VC before starting their business or had family or partners working in VC. It’s very difficult to break in if you somehow don’t have a foot in the door, ”says Klinger.
This is a story as old as time, but what is the key to making sex technology a category that is talked about like any other type of consumer electronics?
“I think it’s really important that we put sex engineering first and make it something that doesn’t get put in the corner of a conference,” Cole said. ‘It is not to have it as a leader. The key is, how don’t we make it sexy? How do we not rely on sexiness to sell it? I think it’s a great move to put it next to everyday lifestyle categories. ”
“It’s just treated like a different company,” Klinger agrees. “We just want to be treated as normal and not rejected because someone is uncomfortable with this or because they are afraid that someone else will be uncomfortable.”