Femtech & Design

The demand, especially from women, to improve the sexual experience (understood as psycho-physical well-being) is the driving force behind the growth of FemTech. Indeed, the market is booming and, according to Frost & Sullivan, it will be worth more than $50 billion by 2025.

Janet Lieberman, CTO and Co-founder of Dame, says, “The sex industry is transitioning from a male-centered industry of pleasure to a female-centered wellness industry.” The difficulties faced during the Covid pandemic has developed awareness of the importance of associating sexual pleasure with well-being, given that physical and mental health also manifest through sexual activity.

Major brands, assisted by psychologists, are focusing precisely on holistic well-being. The 2022 McKinsey report states that the sex tech sector is becoming increasingly inclusive and diversified as an attempt is being made to satisfy a wider audience with attention to customer feedback, disabilities, gender diversity, and sexual orientation.

FemTech is no longer only about fun, but also a tool for achieving total well-being. The sex toys segment will globally exceed $62 billion by 2030 and, while the United States dominates today, it will be the Asian-Pacific market which will grow rapidly at a rate of 8.3% CAGR.

This will mark great success for teledildonics: intelligent products which can connect to wireless networks to increase the sexual experience by utilizing all the senses. Virtual reality is also poised to offer an increasingly real sexual experience. An olfactory "print" will create products capable of transmitting, not only images and sounds, but also smells from a distance.

By 2028, over a quarter of young people will have had a virtual sexual experience thanks to 3D printing of body parts, which will make for a very realistic experience. It is estimated that in 2050, the number of sexual encounters with sex robots will surpass those between humans. Science, thanks to an integrated approach among professionals, will detect benefits to quality of life based on the resolution of any sexual disorders.

Given the considerable production of waste in the sector (up to 150,000 tons a year), greater attention is being paid to sustainability. Furthermore, for greater health, there is a tendency to limit the presence of phthalates and trimethyltin chloride in products, reducing any negative impact on procreation, pregnancy, and breastfeeding. Companies are investing in research and technology to aim for sextainability with the use of biodegradable materials and removable and recyclable components.

Design helps to make sexuality inclusive with new solutions in which materials, technologies, and colors play an important role in the creation of eco-sustainable and genderless objects of pleasure and well-being.