Last year was an important moment for sexual technology. For the first time in CES’s history in decades, the category was not banished to the dark corners of the showroom floor. This happened after a controversial 2019, when the Consumer Tech Association (CTA) revoked an award from Lora DiCarlo’s sex toy Osé for being “Immoral, obscene, indecent or profane.” The reaction made headlines, the reward was canceled compensation, and CES 2020 was a “process” for sexual technology as a category. If it did well, CTA would probably welcome sexual technology exhibitors in 2021 to the largest consumer electronics show in the world.
And then the pandemic happened.
Overall, last year’s test for sex technology was a success. However, it was still unclear whether that momentum would continue at a fully virtual CES 2021 after such a tumultuous year. Now that the show is over, 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 sexual technology was not yet a search category on the CTA website. On the other hand, the well-known brand Satisfyer has won two CES 2021 awards for innovation and no one has tried to take them. But one thing that remains clear is that the sex toy industry refuses to give up a future where a place at the table is guaranteed and its innovations are taken seriously.
AIt was disappointing that half of the tech sex exhibitors in attendance were bigger brands, such as Lora DiCarlo and Satisfyer. Smaller or indie brands like Dame, Crave, OhMiBod and MysteryVibe that were at the show last year have not returned. (OhMiBod, in particular, has had a weak presence at CES for years.) That being said, there could be a very good reason for this.
G / O Media may receive a commission
The whole aim of the ETUC is for companies not only to get press coverage for their products, but also to network with investors, other exhibitors in their industry and the general public. Some exhibitors may not have seen a special need this year, given the general lack of buzz for a fully digital CES sales booming due to the pandemic. The sales boom has been particularly good for brands with online stores – which include many of the sex technology companies that have gone to CES. Lora DiCarlo, for example, claimed to have ggrossed $ 7.5 million in the last year. I spoke with both Satisfyer and Lionness, and both brands noticed that they also noticed an increase in sales.
“The virtual was different. There are fewer people, they wouldn’t have the touch of Vegas that the show usually has. But I also saw it as a potential advantage, ”says Liz Klinger, co-founder and CEO of Lionness. “Even if it’s online, it will probably be the biggest show of the year, probably even if it’s smaller. For us we are a small company of five people. It is easier for us to go through the noise of this environment than an environment in person where it is so massive and you may be sitting in different corners, depending on the year it is ”.
“You know, I’d really like to be on the floor right now, having a conversation, because it would be much more interesting,” Stephanie Tratchenberg, director of marketing and PR for Satisfyer, told Gizmodo. “Certainly, the presence, interaction and enthusiasm we get is still there, even though it’s just virtual.”
“Being virtual this year, I had some concerns,” says Jeff Bennett, co-founder and CEO of Morari Medical, which makes a portable patch to help alleviate premature ejaculation. (A taint bandaid, if you will.) “But we actually have a series of media inquiries to talk about what we do just before the event takes place. I think you know, just last year’s CES success with sexual technology calmed people’s fears a little. This year, so far, we have a good answer. ”
To be fair, sexual technology has an enviable attraction and affinity with virtual spaces that other categories probably don’t have.
“Sexual technology in general will always make headlines. There is no shortage of sexual technology headlines in the media, ”says Bryony Cole, a sexual technology expert and Lovehoney spokesman. “It’s a great clickbait and I think in the context of a virtual show – we saw it all last year, it’s very difficult to stand out or get attention in an online conference, because people’s attention can be anywhere but a laptop screen. . But sexual technology has an advantage, because it’s probably something people look for. “
So, if the lack of personal time up front was not a devastating blow, then what about the CTA itself? Last year, the organization asked sex tech exhibitors to join a dress code and a thorough review process. Exhibitors were warned against wearing promiscuous clothing and all promotional materials and images had to be approved in advance by the CTA. And while Satisfyer and Lora DiCarlo had some impressive stands on the floor of the show, others were hidden in the wide and wide corners. The hypocrisy of the CTA message was eye-catching, given that the ETUC has allowed for decades slightly dressed cabin maids with little objection.
Klinger told Gizmodo that the CTA sent a message about dress codes this year as well, but it is unclear whether this was intended for sex technology exhibitors, as it was last year. In any case, it was not as exhaustive as last year.
It is also noteworthy that one of the Satsifyer Awards for Innovation came in the category of software and mobile applications. It may seem strange to point out progress, but it does signal that sexual technology can be considered a mass category – not one that needs to be transformed. (Kind of like the way the Grammy Awards made hip-hop pigeons in their own category.) Maybe it’s also a sign that the category could finally receive recognition for some really smart technological innovations. For example, the Satisfyer Connect app has quite a few new features. You can control vibrations based on ambient sound and playlists, schedule your own sequences of pacing patterns, sync multiple devices with a partner for simultaneous experiences, and embed private and video chat.
However, it is far too early to say that the CTA has learned the error of its ways. As mentioned earlier, CES 2021 has been much more disabled than in previous years – partly because it was online, and because, well, the Capitol Revolt took place just a few days before the show started. If and when CES returns to Las Vegas, we’ll have to see how tech tech exhibitors are treated to make a final judgment.
But that raises some interesting questions. Where does sexual technology go from here? How is this category evolving, both from the point of view of society and of the technology industry in general? What innovations can we expect to see in the future?
From a technological point of view, sex toys can be quite advanced. It’s not just a slap of Wi-Fi on a basic vibrator. Lora DiCarlo’s Osé toy, for example, 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 “encourages blood circulation”. The amount of clinical research and beta testing that Morari Medical has put into its band is similar to the efforts of other wearable companies.
Cole says we can expect to see a series of subtle innovations in sexual technology, from better insulation and more durable materials, to quieter devices and wireless charging. We already see “Heating” toys from Lora DiCarlo, a trend that Satisfyer told Gizmodo is also working to grow.
“It’s beyond the vibrator,” says Cole, noting that beyond the technology itself, the category also pushes the conversation about how people approach sex in all genders and sexualities. “Whether it’s air pressure technology, suckers or nipple games, but for all bodies – this is something that comes up, which is not necessarily just technology, but more of a social conversation and creates different ways. in which these products can be used. It is also very difficult to reinvent the vibrator, but how can we improve its characteristics? ”
But even though all the sex technology companies I’ve talked to have agreed that the category is becoming more and more general, we’re not there yet. CES is just an event – there are a lot of other technological events that need to create space for these gadgets, their creators and the conversations they provoke.
“I would say that a little over a year ago, we left the Samsung Women’s Health Expo because one of the directors who participated in the show, which came at the last minute, said:” You have nothing to do women’s health and you’re not wearable, so you shouldn’t be here, ”Klinger told Gizmodo, noting that the experience was frustrating as Lionness conducts extensive research and works with doctors to explore the role of sexual pleasure in health and wellness. general.
These experiences extend to funding. Many women-founded sex technology companies – or women-based start-ups in general – are at a disadvantage when it comes to venture capitalism. In 2019, only 2.7% of the venture capital went to the founding teams for women only. The figures were weaker for startups founded by black and Latin women, which received 0.27% and 0.37%, respectively. It was even worse in 2020, when global social capital funds for women founders fell 27% in the same period in 2019.
“In 2018, at a femtech dinner, I was surprised to see how many table founders had worked in VC before starting their company or had family or partners working in VC. It’s very difficult to get in if you don’t already have your foot in the door in one way or another, ”says Klinger.
This is a story as old as time, but what, then, is the key to making sex tech a category that is talked about like any other type of consumer electronics?
“I think all the more we can deal with the center of sexual technology and make it something that isn’t put in the corner of a conference is really important,” says Cole. “It simply came to our notice then. The key is how do we make her not sexy? How can we not rely on sexuality to sell it? I think that placing it next to the categories of daily life is an excellent move.
“It’s just treated like another company,” Klinger agrees. “We just want to be treated as normal and not walk away because someone is not comfortable with this or they are afraid that someone else might be uncomfortable.”