Risque entrepreneurs are heating up the X-rated space with a crowdfunding site, an erotic concierge service, and more.
Entrepreneurs have been getting busy in the "adult" industry.
One of the newest X-rated start-ups--a so-called Kickstarter for porn dubbed Offbeatr--launched this week to give sex industry talent a way to crowdfund potential projects online.
GigaOm even suggests that Offbeatr could teach Kickstarter a thing or two: The site's projects are curated before going live, and approved creators are allowed to sell digital content even while still trying to meet their funding goals.
It turns out sex still sells: The crowdfunding site is hardly the only recent innovation in the XXX marketplace, which has long been known for technological innovation.
- MySecretLuxury, a concierge service that deals in erotic experiences, is offering consumers the opportunity to have a real-life taste of Fifty Shades of Grey. The site, created by an e-commerce incubator graduate, boasts, “From the helicopter adventure to the yacht vacation to a drive in an Audi R8 ... we will put you in Anastasia and Christian’s shoes.”
- Trojan created a media buzz this week by giving away 10,000 free vibrators on the streets of New York City. Vibrators were distributed from two “pleasure carts,” and Trojan claims this was the biggest handout of vibrators ever. (Was there any competition?)
- Even traditional protection got an update with the announcement of Malaysian condom manufacturer Karex Industries' plans for an initial public offering. According to The Wall Street Journal, the "recession-proof and growing" global condom market is currently valued at $4.2 billion, but will rise to a hot $6 billion by 2015. With new quality-control and testing procedures in place, Karex hopes that an IPO will help it, ahem, dominate 30% of the global market.
