Technology Meets Sex To Solve Some Of The Most Pressing Concerns Of Our Times - Forbes

NYC’s SexTech Hackathon gathered 100 participants and top industry leaders to problem-solve some of today’s biggest social challenges through innovation.

Can technology help prevent sexual harassment?

How will AI, VR and Robotics impact our sex lives?

How does porn play a role in relationships?

Why do 33 percent of women experience painful sex?

How can sex toys improve the sexual experience of marginalized populations?

We have big questions to answer. The Future of Sex (FOS), an organization founded and led by Bryony Cole, is the leading sextech platform catalyzing immersive events, innovative labs and media. Cole’s mission is to create a platform where talent can meet up to apply innovation and tech to solve critical social concerns of today, research the role of cutting-edge technology in our relationships and sex lives, and drive the future of human sexual experience.

Bryony Cole, founder of Future of SexFuture of Sex

The organization just hosted America’s only annual Sextech Hackathon in New York in partnership with YouPorn. “At the sextech hackathon, we use challenges to focus the teams. Sextech touches a wide range of experiences from public policy to crime and violence reporting, sex and sexual health education, pleasure and entertainment , so the challenges ensure we can invite the right mentors, and collect research, data and insights to help the teams build successful products,” said Gavin Heaton, head of innovation at Future of Sex.

During the kick-off session, hackathon participants were presented with four “challenge statements”. These are descriptions of problems identified by the guest industry experts aimed at focusing the teams on specific sextech areas. YouPorn asked for a solution to leverage the platform’s technology and content to improve the sex lives of 10 billion people. Womanizer wanted teams to come up with solutions to close the orgasm gap. Okayso, a tech platform for sexual health, asked the audience to reinvent sex, respect and consent education for teenage boys. And MsVVs Mystery challenged the crowd to apply tech to change the conversation around sex and confidence.

The crowd was diverse and consisted of four main profiles: Hackers, hipsters, hustlers and sexologists. They each had only 30 seconds to pitch their idea and call for team members. In the chaos that ensued as the team speed dating took place, 12 new teams emerged. Most of them had never met before.

The Sextech Hackathon Attracts Diversity And Female Talent

Sixty percent of the participants were female. This is not a coincidence. Veronique Verrault, founder of MissVV Mystery, says: “Having diversity in the teams makes a huge difference, which is the opposite of what happens at traditional hackathons. The challenges we presented to them served as guidance, but many participants already had their own plan because they have experienced these problems themselves.”

Bryony Cole, Founder of Future of Sex and Runner-Up Team ThreadsFuture of Sex

“Sextech hackathons are critical because they provide people that don't normally have access to capital and mentors the chance to participate and build a business in the industry. The future of sex depends on having diverse, inclusive products and services that cater to a range of populations,” added FOS founder, Cole. “Traditionally 'invisible' populations, where they are perceived as not sexual or not a profitable market, are often attracted to hackathons. We have found through doing these in different regions of the world, that the disabled population is drawn to hackathons as a way to innovate and create products and services they need, from sex education platforms to toys catered to their needs."

It All Comes Down To Sex Education

Over the following day and a half, teams developed their ideas, built prototypes, strategized, figured out how to overcome potential legal, social or distribution hurdles with the help of mentors, created go-to-market strategies, and prepared to pitch.

One of the biggest themes of the Sextech Hackathon was sex education. HIgh school students currently have little to no access to fact-based, inclusive and professionally vetted education about sexual health, sexuality and relationships. Oftentimes, they seek information through peers, in porn sites and other internet sources, acquiring wrong or biased ideas as they aren’t equipped to discern what is fiction or roleplay from what constitutes a healthy sexual interaction with another human being. Mal Harrison, director of the Center for Erotic Intelligence says, "Sex education in America is horrifically broken. Technology is known for disrupting industries, but with sextech, we're disrupting cultural norms that are damaging society overall, especially our youth. Technology can provide learning tools for young adults, and assist parents in having better conversations about sexual health, consent and relationships.”

Team Harvest (3rd Place) presenting to the judges and audienceFuture of Sex

On the final day, thought leaders from different realms of the sextech industry gathered as judges to evaluate the viability, creativity and potential of the different projects. The winning project was “Socratex,” an affirming, inclusive sex education web platform for NYC’s public school students. Runner-up was “Threads,” a platform for individuals in long-distance relationships to experience and “thread” erotic stories together, recreating what would be adventurous, in-person dating for those who are not in the same location. Third place went to “Harvest,” a product designed for women to utilize their menstrual surplus, which contains nourishing properties, to fertilize plants.

Other projects included a search engine to personalize YouPorn content suggestions based on tastes, an augmented reality app for sex, and a paid platform that connects adults for mutually beneficial dating while ensuring the safety of the participants. The variety of projects is a clear indicator of how much room for growth there is in sextech, an industry valued at $30 billion.

From the lack of proper sex education for teenagers to ending sexual harassment, addressing safety concerns, providing access to diverse and non-patriarchal porn content, and solutions for individuals in long-term relationships, sextech has the potential to solve long-standing -and often silenced- societal problems that haven’t properly been addressed by other industries , or the public sector.

The future looks bright - and sexy.

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