Sextech Revolution: The Future of Sexual Wellness

by Andrea Barrica

Sitting between Planned Parenthood and Pornhub, sexual wellness is the next blue ocean for tech entrepreneurs and investors alike—and nobody is talking about it.

This recession-proof industry will be worth an estimated $122 billion by 2026, yet no one is prepared for this wave of innovation. But after years of being ignored due to shame and stigma, the sexual wellness revolution is upon us at last.
If you ask Andrea Barrica, it's embarrassing it took this long.

As an entrepreneur and former venture capital investor, Andrea is uniquely qualified to guide a new generation of business leaders ready to seize the opportunities in sexual wellness. Sextech Revolution is a firsthand account of how you can build a company and raise money in this space. Andrea shares how she's tackled the financial and structural challenges sex tech startups face, and provides unparalleled insight into how investors and entrepreneurs can navigate and understand the nuances of the sexual wellness industry.

Genres: Nonfiction, Business

204 pages, Paperback

First published November 14, 2019

Reviews

[Lisalit · Rating 4 out of 5]

didn’t expect to learn so much about how to start a start-up but it was very interesting and i finally understand what LP really stands for.
it was interesting even though i was expecting a bit less information on the creation of a sextech company and more information on the impact of sextech today and how wide it is becoming.
i wanted to know the use of sex toys in an elderly population but ended up knowing how to be an entrepreneur in the sex industry, cool discovery 😎

[Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're an entrepreneur thinking of getting into the sex technology business, this is the book for you. It's less useful if you think of yourself as an activist first, but it still is packed with excellent information and ideas.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

We talk about sex all the time - in magazines, blogs, television series, jokes, sermons, movies, ads, fashion, podcasts, and porn. We're obsessed with sex, but who are the major brands that shape our daily experiences with sexuality? Where are the reputable, trusted voices?

Andrea Barrica's Sextech Revolution is equal part educational exploration of the corporate side of sexual health and equal part call to action to found your own start-up in the space.
The author clearly has a lot of experience in this environment and writes in a very learned way, shaped by her own work. She has a lot of very interesting things to say about the discrepancy between funding of porn vs funding of sexual wellness, the hypocritical way sexuality is hidden in education all the while a cultural shame to discuss natural elements of the human body developed, and how the strict bias against anything sexual cripples innovation and development in professional circles.
It's a pretty thin book though and I would have wished it would dive even deeper into these things. What happens instead is that Barrica gives concrete advice for how to become proactive yourself and start building in this neglected industry. I respect that and I'm sure you can get good value out of that if that's what you're into, but it wasn't meant for me. Those parts still had some interesting stuff in it but I was definitely more in it for the other themes.

Nonetheless, I can't really give this a lower rating because this is a very informative and current book about a subject that doesn't have too much literature written about it and Barrica is clearly a top candidate for sharing that knowledge.
If the corporate side of sexual health (and pleasure) is something you're interested in and you want a modern look at it, this is definitely a worthwhile recommendation. Even more so if you're interested in becoming or already are an entrepreneur yourself.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is mostly about venture capital, fundraising and marketing for sextech businesses. Good “basic knowledge” read for anyone with start-up plans or who wants to invest into sex-positive spaces.

[Antony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting look into the growing business sector of sex health products and services

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Andrea Barrica is a compassionate, brilliant, gifted business friend. This is her ground-breaking book. I just received an e-mail from her about it today. It's an absolute page-turner! ;-)

Andrea and I met in around 2014 after she heard my long-time friend and past business partner speak at a 2013 TEDxBerkeley event. I'd spent several hours in biz meetings with her including a Hack Day she did for our company at TechShop SF, volunteering her time for our start-up company. My best personal friend, Laila, was at that same hack day with Andrea and I :-)

[Poornima Vijayashanker · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well-researched and reasoned read in an industry filled with misconceptions

At a high-level, Barrica does a great job of laying out the problems, perils and potential of the sextech industry.

But the even bigger issue is why this is needed now, and that’s what spoke to me the most—changes and tighter social policies under current political administration aren’t helping people. Abstinence only education, limits on advertising female versus male sex products, and reproductive rights, to name a few.

Barrica shares her knowledge of the issues that people across generations and backgrounds have when it comes to human sexuality. It’s a comprehensive guide that talks about how people struggle with their own sexuality, identity, and intimacy with others. And it provides a call to arms, why people need sex education and it’s not limited to sexual intercourse but about their reproductive organs. Finally, Barrica brings up the importance of having this education as a way of removing stigma and shame from the way we choose to interact with our fellow humans and care for ourselves.

[David Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Navigating a Blue Ocean with lots of icebergs

1 part guidebook for sextech entrpreneurs. 1 part call-to-action for building a respectful and united community in a critical emerging space.
Written from direct experience in pioneering a sextech company, educating investors whilst raising capital and dealing with systemic blocks in law and hidden censorship built into LP relationships.
Written with a generous positive spirit, there is so much here for any entrepreneur to learn from and admire for those with the conviction to deliver in morally constrained sectors.