Last year was a watershed for sex technology. For the first time in CES’s decades-long history, the category has not been banned for the dark corners of the showroom. This was after a 2019 litigation, when the Consumer Tech Association (CTA) revoked an Osé de Lora DiCarlo sex toy award for being “Immoral, obscene, indecent or profane”. The reaction made headlines, the terminated sentence was rewardedand CES 2020 was a “test” for sex technology as a category. If it did well, perhaps CTA would welcome sex technology exhibitors back to the world’s largest consumer electronics fair in 2021.
And then the pandemic happened.
Overall, last year’s test for sex technology was a success. However, it was not yet clear whether that momentum would continue in a fully virtual CES 2021 after such a tumultuous year. Now that the show is over, it is fair to say that sex technology at CES 2021 was a mix. On the one hand, there were far fewer headlines and sex technology was not yet a searchable category on the CTA website. On the other hand, the well-known brand Satisfyer won two CES 2021 Innovation Awards and no one tried to withdraw them. But one thing that remains absolutely clear is that the sex toy industry refuses to give up on a future where a seat at the table is guaranteed and its innovations are taken seriously.
anIt was disappointing that half of the sex technology exhibitors who attended were bigger brands like Lora DiCarlo and Satisfyer. Smaller or independent brands like Dame, Crave, OhMiBod and MysteryVibe that were on the show last year did not return. (OhMiBod, in particular, has had a low profile at CES for years.) That said, there may be a good reason for that.
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CES’s goal is that companies not only get press coverage for their products, but also network with investors, other exhibitors in their sector and the general public. It is possible that some exhibitors did not see a particular need for this this year, given the general lack of buzz for a fully digital CES and expanding sales due to pandemic. The sales boom was particularly good for brands with online stores – including many of the sex tech companies that would have gone to CES. Lora DiCarlo, for example, stated that there were ggrossed $ 7.5 million in sales during the past year. I spoke with Satisfyer and Lionness, and both brands noted that they also noticed an increase in sales.
“Virtual was different. There are fewer people, it wouldn’t have the Vegas feel that the show usually has. But I also saw this as a potential advantage, ”said Liz Klinger, Lionness co-founder and CEO. “Even if it’s online, it’s probably still going to be the biggest show of the year, even though it’s a smaller one. For us, we are a small company of five people. It is easier for us to overcome noise in this environment than in a personal environment, where it is so big and you can be placed in different corners depending on the year. “
“You know, I really wish we were talking now, because it would be so much more exciting,” Stephanie Tratchenberg, director of marketing and public relations at Satisfyer, told Gizmodo. “But certainly the presence, interaction and excitement we are getting is still there, even though it is only virtual.”
“As this year was virtual, I had some concerns,” said Jeff Bennett, co-founder and CEO of Morari Medical, which manufactures a wearable patch to help relieve premature ejaculation. (AN contaminated bandage, if you want.) “But, actually, we have a series of questions from the media to talk about what we’re doing before the event even takes place. I think you know, just CES’s success over the past year with sex technology has allayed people’s fears a little. This year, so far, we are having a good response. ”
To be fair, sex technology has an enviable fascination and an affinity for virtual spaces that perhaps other categories do not.
“Sexual technology, in general, will always make a headline. There is no lack of sex technology headlines in the media, ”says Bryony Cole, a sex technology expert and spokesperson for Lovehoney. “It’s a great click bait and I think in the context of a virtual show – we saw it all last year, it’s really hard to stand out or gain strength in an online conference because people’s attention can be anywhere else, except on the screen of a laptop. But sex technology has an advantage because it is probably something that people are looking for. “
So, if the lack of face-to-face time was not a devastating blow, what about CTA itself? Last year, the organization demanded that sexual technology exhibitors comply with a dress code and an exhaustive review process. Exhibitors were warned against using promiscuous clothing and all promotional materials and images had to be previously approved by CTA. And while Satisfyer and Lora DiCarlo had some impressive booths on the floor of the exhibition, others were hidden in corners everywhere. The hypocrisy of the CTA’s message was inducing to roll your eyes, given that the CES had allowed for decades little tent babies with little objection.
Klinger told Gizmodo that CTA sent a message about dress codes this year as well, but it is unclear whether this was aimed at sexual technology exhibitors like last year. In any case, it was not as exhausting as it was last year.
It is also notable that one of Satsifyer’s innovation awards came in the category of software and mobile applications. It may seem like a strange thing to highlight as progress, but it does signal that sex technology can be considered a dominant category – not one that needs to be categorized. (Sort of like the Grammy Awards classify hip hop in its own category.) Perhaps it is also a sign that the category may finally be receiving recognition for some genuinely smart technological innovations. For example, the Satisfyer Connect application has some new features. You can control vibrations based on ambient sound and playlists, program your own pacing pattern sequences, synchronize multiple devices with a partner for simultaneous experiences, as well as an integrated private chat and video.
Still, it is too early to say that CTA has learned the error of its methods. As noted earlier, CES 2021 was much quieter than in previous years, partly because it was all online, and because, well, the Capitol riots took place a few days before the show started. If and when CES returns to Las Vegas, we will have to see how sex technology exhibitors are treated to make a final judgment.
But this raises some interesting questions. Where does sex technology go from here? How is this category evolving, both in terms of society and the technology industry in general? What innovations can we expect to see in the future?
Technologically speaking, sex toys can be quite advanced. It’s not just putting Wi-Fi on a basic vibrator. The toy Osé de Lora DiCarlo, for example, initially won the award due to the use of micro-botics to imitate oral sex. Satisfyer is known for using air pulse technology to stimulate the clitoris in a non-touch way that “stimulates blood circulation”. The amount of clinical research and beta testing that Morari Medical has put on its contamination with bandaid is similar to the efforts of other wearable companies.
Cole says we can expect a number of subtle innovations in sex technology, ranging from better insulation and more sustainable materials to quieter devices and wireless charging. We are already seeing “Heating” toys from Lora DiCarlo, a trend that Satisfyer told Gizmodo that he was also working to develop.
“It’s beyond the vibrator,” says Cole, noting that in addition to the technology itself, the category is also driving conversation about how people approach sex across all genders and sexualities. “Whether it is air pressure technology, suckers or nipple play, but for all bodies – this is something that is emerging that is not necessarily just technology, but is more of a social conversation and the creation of different ways of use these products. Like, it’s very difficult to reinvent the vibrator, but how can we improve its characteristics? “
But even if all the sex technology companies I talked to agreed that the category is becoming more popular, we still haven’t gotten there yet. CES is just one event – there are many other technology events that also need to create the space for these gadgets, their creators and the conversations they generate.
“I would say that just over a year ago, we left Samsung Women’s Health Expo because one of the directors who was at the show, who came at the last minute, said ‘You have nothing to do with women’s health and you are not wearable , so it 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 overall well-being and health.
These experiences also extend to financing. Many sex technology companies founded by women – or startups founded by women in general – are at a disadvantage when it comes to the venture capital game. In 2019, only 2.7% of venture capital went to all-female founding teams. The numbers were worse for startups founded by black and Latino women, who received 0.27% and 0.37% respectively. It was even worse in 2020, when global venture capital funding for founders declined 27% over the same period in 2019.
“In 2018, at a femtech dinner, I was surprised to see how many table founders had worked at VC before opening their company or had family or partners who worked at VC. It is very difficult to break in if you don’t have a foot in the door yet, ”says Klinger.
This is a story as old as time, but then what is the key to making sex technology a category that is talked about like any other type of consumer electronics?
“I think how much more we can bring sex technology to the center and make it something that is not kept in the corner of a conference is really important,” says Cole. “It’s not having a headline. The key is how to make him not sexy? How can we not depend on sensuality to sell it? I think putting it close to the everyday lifestyle categories is a big move. ”
“It’s just being treated like another company,” agrees Klinger. “We just want to be treated as normal and not rejected because someone is uncomfortable with it or because they fear that someone else will be uncomfortable.”