The adult industry isn't lack of innovation, it has pushed the wide implementations of VHS, Online payment, Virtual Reality, teledildonic, etc.
The much needed disruption is how to bring positive impacts to the mainstream market by using sex technologies, without leaving the sex element. How to use sex technologies to help couples to stay intimate, increase safe sex awareness, help individuals to understand his/her sexuality, sexual wellness, help men to understand female orgasm (no, it's not about bigger dick), etc.
In the recent years, we started to see sex-positive startups stepped up to this challenge. From MakeLoveNotPorn, Jimmy Jane, Crave, RevelBody, HappyPlaytime, PerfectFit, DOWN (Bang With Friends) and many more.
I'm the co-founder of www.vibease.com, the world's first wearable smart vibrator. I created Vibease because I was in a long distance relationship and I couldn't find any solutions that was easy to use and not invasive. Eventually we 'pivoted' to create immersive pleasure experience for women using audio erotica.
Cindy Gallop from www.makelovenotporn.com has been a great advocate to disrupt the old adult industry. She successfully brings the hard topic, porn to be discussed in the society. She takes the good parts of porn and leaves the bad ones behind, to encourage a healthy discussion about sex.
The challenge is that these startups always being treated like the old shady sex business, especially from the mainstream and holy (aka. hypocrite) institutions. The best way to overcome this problem is to pitch it boldly and hide nothing.
Techno-porn: how the sex industry drives mainstream technology
Star: "I don’t think most people have a clue how much life today is in debt to the porn industry. Online banking and shopping are secure because porn distributors needed to make their transactions with consumers secure."
Some unsolicited advice from someone who's just heard about your product for the first time :)
* Avoiding the word "vibrator" is a good thought (sadly it has too many negative connotations), but I'd recommend never shying away from discussing the underlying problem you are trying to solve because it's both serious and real. ie: "People are busier than ever and are spending increasing amounts of time apart. We're taking steps forward to helping couples maintain a level of intimacy and connection in our dynamic world."
* Alternative language to just talking about "intimacy" can be a focus on the positive side-effects of intimacy, such as: happier lives, higher level of trust, and greater relationship satisfaction.
* The settings screen in your screenshot has a lot of sliders. I hope there will be some good presets for those who would otherwise get overwhelmed by the number of choices.
* Similarly, fingers crossed for a PC/Mac client (or otherwise the ability to video-chat over Skype) since holding two small devices (a phone and the massager) can get tricky.
As for the pitch, maybe a tongue-in-cheek: "Vibease lets you reach out to your partner and maintain intimacy from across the room... or across the world."
Sounds like you'll have a ton of (challenging, unique) fun with this product. Good luck!
Vibease is trying to disrupt the sex toys industry and bring it to mainstream market.
I'm the founder btw.
We help couples to stay intimate, even from a distance, by using mobile app and long distance vibrator.
We use Bluetooth and internet.
http://mashable.com/2012/10/26/vibease-sex-toy-app/
I'm the founder btw.
We help couples to stay intimate, even from a distance, by using mobile app and long distance vibrator.
We use Bluetooth and internet.
http://mashable.com/2012/10/26/vibease-sex-toy-app/
This is awesome. It's cool to see more people are hacking sex toys. Hopefully with all these cool hacks, it will remove the stigma. People have a stigma against vibrator is because they always imagine vibrator as a huge penis vibrator that they seen in porn movies.
The fact is many studies shown that size doesn't matter.
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/all-about-sex/200903/the...
The first electrical vibrator was invented as a medical device and to stimulate the clitoris, not the inside.
I believe the world will be a better place when women can have orgasm as much as men do.
My startup, www.vibease.com, is helping couples to stay intimate even from a distance. We have a mobile App with long distance vibrator. We use Bluetooth and internet connection. Currenlty we are taking pre-order.
We try to bring it to mainstream market and it's not easy:
http://tech.co/vibease-vibrator-app-2012-11
I agree with Qdot. The common problem with most hardware startup is manufacturing. You need lotz of upfront money. Most VCs don't invest in hardware startup. The only available option is kickstarter. If you notice, even with lotz of money, most of kickstarter projects are delayed.
Making prototype and hacking hardware is now easier compare to 10 years ago. But it's still challenging.
We do own pre-order site, http://www.vibease.com
