Sextech: Where Sex and Innovation Hook Up

Sextech is the love child of sex and innovation. It’s an industry that merges the pain points of sex and the benefits of technology to invent new ways to enhance our experiences.

It’s easy to think sextech = sex toys (or, like me, you might have thought of The Rocky Horror Picture Show and horn-dog scientist Frank N Furter). The sextech industry is huge and covers so much more than vibrators.

Sextech is about pleasure and joy, but also safety, health and wellness, and access. It's about the factors that shape our journeys as sexual, intimate, and connected beings.

Thrill Me, Chill Me, Fulfil Me

What can sextech offer you? A lot.

The industry concerns itself with the before, during, and after of intimate experiences. It deals with the mental and the physical, the desirable and the unpleasant, the good, the bad, and the sexy.

It includes:

• Dating apps 

• Erotic websites

• Sex and intimacy apps

• Digital access to sexual health and wellness services

• Virtual reality/immersive porn

• Sex toys

• Kinky social platforms

• Sex education apps/platforms

And those are only a few examples of sextech. A broad range of possibilities present themselves when you merge intimacy and tech.

It’s Not Easy Having a Good Time (Without Sextech)

This mix of sex and tech is life-changing for some of us. It can:

• Improve Accessibility: Information and pleasure are not always accessible. Sextech opens up options for people who would otherwise struggle to find information and support.

• Elevate Pleasure: This one speaks for itself. Isn’t it always great to find a convenient bit of tech that makes sex that much more enjoyable?

• Offer Connection: This can be to like-minded people, long-distance partner(s), or relevant support networks. Sextech can also help you connect with yourself, giving you new ways to explore your body, emotions, and desires.

• Enhance Health and Safety: Sextech can offer tools to stay safe while exploring sex and intimacy. This includes preventative and curative tools to help you before, during, and after your experience.

Come Up To the Lab and Meet my Sextech Idols

There are standout figures in the world of sextech and people whose work and presence I am completely in awe of. Amazing things are being done in the industry, and I love what these people and brands are working on:

Cindy Gallop (MakeLoveNotPorn)

Cindy Gallop is the founder of MakeLoveNotPorn. MLNP is an erotic video platform with a curated catalogue of real and consensual erotic content. 

As if that wasn’t cool enough, MLNP is also launching a sex education platform! It will provide accessible resources that are searchable by age-appropriateness and sensibility.

Bryony Cole (SexTech School)

Bryony Cole founded the SexTech school, an awesome organisation that helps to get you started working in the world of sextech. It’s the place to explore the sextech industry and meet a cohort of brilliant minds in sextech.

Mariah & Phil (Beducated)

Beducated is a sex-education platform that champions pleasure-based learning. It was founded by the fabulous Mariah and Phil. 

Beducated is so easy to use, and the courses are suitable for a diverse range of needs, identities, and preferences. They offer guidance in a way that doesn’t make you feel patronised or want to cringe.

John Baku (FetLife)

John Baku, founder of FetLife, has created something that’s made big waves in kink and fetish communities. FetLife is THE social media app for kinksters.

As someone who uses FetLife, I say it’s a fantastic app for kinky people and those who want to explore the world of fetish.

I See You Shiver In Antici…

(…pation)

Now you have an idea what sextech is, I bet you’re excited to dive into the industry. You want to explore what’s on offer and see if you can find what you’ve been looking for.

Lucky for you, In ConteXXXt put together a hot list of resources that includes some examples of sextech to get you going.