Femtech Fes! "Sextech Startup Study Group Vol. 1: Dame Products"
The 11th Femtech Fes! Online! was the first installment of the "Sextech Startup Study Group." We discussed the appeal of Dame Products, which develops "pleasure items by women for women," from their products to their founding and development story.
Are you familiar with the term "pleasure gap"?
According to one study, 91% of cis* men reported "routinely" or "always" achieving orgasm during sex, while only 39% of cis women reported the same.
Furthermore, data shows that only 18.4% of women can achieve orgasm through penetration alone.
Despite this, heterosexual cis men and women tend to have a psychological tendency to "please their partner," and the clitoris is currently undervalued (e.g., less time spent stimulating it).
* "Cis" means that a person's gender identity matches their biological sex assigned at birth. It is the opposite of "trans"gender.
Dame is a sexual wellness brand created to bridge this pleasure gap between men and women.
It was founded by Alex, who completed clinical psychology (sex therapy) at Columbia University Graduate School, and Janet, an engineer who graduated from MIT.
Here are the products that were featured at the event.
Hands-free vibrator / Eva 2
This is Dame's flagship vibrator, designed to solve the problems of conventional toys (focus on penetration, male creators, design, etc.) and allow two people to enjoy themselves hands-free while maintaining close contact. The two flexible wings, perfected after 75 prototypes, fit your unique shape. It's also waterproof for use in the bath.
Finger-hugging vibrator / Fin
Fin was born from real feedback from Eva users. It maintains the "sense of unity" and "blends in without standing out" features that were popular with Eva, but is designed to be used as an extension of your hand. Its asymmetrical design allows for various types of stimulation.
We also explored the secrets behind Dame's popularity among many users, according to the fermata team. First, user-centric product development. This is made possible by Dame Labs. By collecting data from a user pool of ten thousand people sampled to avoid bias in race, sexual orientation, and age, it's clear that Dame prioritizes what users want over what they want to create! Also, advocating for pleasure where no one is left behind, and using gender-neutral language (e.g., Boyfriend → Partner, Women → Vulva-owners) helps create Dame's world.
Flexible vibrator / Pom
Hollow inside and soft, gently conforming to the curves of the body. It offers 5 speed settings and 5 vibration patterns. With a design that blends in with any room and a quiet operation, fermata users are highly satisfied.
Lipstick-shaped vibrator / Kip
An intuitive and easy-to-use vibrator that can be held like a pen. It reflects feedback from approximately 100 individuals aged 19 to 74 who tested the prototype, boasting impressive specs. Its ready-to-use design makes it perfect for those new to pleasure items!
"I want to use it with my partner," "I want something that doesn't tire my hands easily," "I live with roommates, so I need something quiet," "I want to use it in the bath"... The event became an opportunity to discover options tailored to individual needs.
If you'd like to learn more, you can watch the event archive here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFpou239xPE&has_verified=1
The fermata team actually picked up and introduced the products, so please take a look even if you've never used a pleasure item before.
We hope this will be an opportunity for you to discover what "feels good" to you!