Becoming a taboo entrepreneur.

Alma Ramírez Acosta

SEX.

If you giggled, smirked, or felt a little naughty when you read that, then you are part of the reason I started my career in SexTech.

Sex - whether we have accepted it or not - is part of our lives and affects us at an emotional and physical level. It is tightly related to how we feel about our bodies, our self-esteem, and our relationships. The problem is that no one wants to talk about it. People usually feel embarrassed, uncomfortable and lonely when they realise they are facing problems in their sex lives, but they don’t have to feel that way. We should be treating sex like any other aspect of our health, instead, we are often held back by superficial barriers.

Alma Ramírez Acosta with Vibio Co-Founder Patricia Cervantes...and a giant clitoris.

This is one of the biggest challenges when becoming a SexTech entrepreneur. In many people’s minds we are only ‘horny women playing with vibrators’, but this is only half true. In reality, we spend most of our time designing products to make people feel more comfortable with themselves and their fantasies; as advocates for sexual liberation.

As a cofounder of Vibio, an early-stage startup, our mission is to spread awareness of the relationship between sex and health. We develop app-controlled sex toys that encourage people to explore their sexuality and increase their sexual wellness through pleasure.

Like every founder, we often get the question: why did you start your business? In our case, it was the realisation of how much taboo and stigma there is around sex, despite living in the most openminded period in history.

Despite all the challenges that come with being a SexTech entrepreneur, the timing couldn’t be better. Sexual wellness is becoming mainstream; currently operating in a global industry valued at £37B and expected to triple within the next 7 years. Consumers’ perception of sex-related products is changing radically towards a more positive view, fueling this growth and creating new business opportunities.

The app-controlled sex toy being developed by Alma and the team at Vibio

While it’s clear that there is a growing trend towards changing the stigma around sexual health, it is going to take more than just the efforts of Vibio alone. We need people to be open about their sex lives and engage in healthy dialogue, but that first requires thought and introspection. And if sex is something that still makes you uncomfortable to think about it… practice makes perfect!

Alma is on Twitter at @alma_rac & @myvibio and Instagram at @vibiotoys

If you would like to hear more from Alma, you're in luck! She'll be speaking alongside a host of other incredible #SexTech wizards at our event on 19th November in Old Street. Sign up now for FREE: (S)ex Machina: Should digital technology play a part in our sexual health?