Over the past year, the pleasure industry has witnessed the emergence of new brands across various adult retail categories — brands that are now entering 2025 with ambitious goals for success and growth in their sophomore year.
“I’m dreaming big,” says Cat Meyer, CEO and founder of up-and-coming lubricant brand Head South, capturing the collective spirit of the latest crop of pleasure industry entrepreneurs. “This year has been a master class in trust: trusting the process, believing in myself and my vision, and staying open to the wild and wonderful opportunities that come from leaning in with heart and determination.”
As today’s startups dream big and chase ambitious goals, the future of the pleasure industry looks brighter, more inclusive, and undeniably exciting.
Such tenacity proves essential as companies hone their brand identity and home in on opportunities. For new bondage gear manufacturer Neon Coyotes, that has meant capitalizing on the success of its Brat Tamer fragrance by expanding it into a line of “pocket perfumes” inspired by kinky personas — and setting its sights on becoming a full-fledged lifestyle brand.
“With this new vertical, we’re excited to enter retail spaces that might not traditionally carry our leather gear,” says Neon Coyotes founder Jen Johnson. “It’s a fresh way to connect with even more people who share our love for bold, intentional design — whether they’re seasoned players or just getting curious.”
While many newcomers are lucky enough to forge connections and even land fruitful partnerships when exhibiting or networking at trade shows, YCosmetics founder Tess Finkle says that being assigned a booth next to Like A Kitten/Natalie’s Toy Box at ANME in July 2024 felt like winning the startup lottery. The booth neighbors hit it off and have since collaborated on Effortless, a pleasure serum now available as a sample across Like A Kitten’s toy collections, and as a full-size bottle.
“This is a major milestone for us, to be in the company of such a well-established and respected brand like Natalie’s and receive priceless mentorship from her and her team,” Finkle says. “I am still pinching myself!”
For Eversense Toys, a startup focused on intimate products for the gender-nonconforming and gender-expansive community, 2024 marked the start of its journey, including its first round of fundraising.
“We are so excited to see our products in the flesh after our initial designs are sent to the manufacturer, and to get our toys into the hands of our wonderful test group,” says Matty Hennessy, founder and CEO. “After testing and feedback, we will get our finalized designs to the manufacturer and hope to go to market! We are so excited for our dreams to come true in 2025.”
The folks behind some of 2025’s brands to watch are complete newcomers. Others are industry vets on whom retailers may be more willing to take a chance, including Full Circle Distribution and ID Wellness Essentials by Westridge Labs. For all of them, however, the goals for the year ahead have been set and the wheels are in motion.
Tipping Points
What inspires the entrepreneurs whose creativity and drive powers these new brands? Some decide to venture into pleasure products because they notice a gap in the market.
“After working in the sex industry most of my adult life, I became extremely frustrated with the lack of trans-focused pleasure products,” Hennessy recalls. “I was a buyer, and often spent countless hours shopping catalogs with thousands of products. The longer I worked in the industry, the more restless I became. It made me feel invisible and dysphoric within an industry I was otherwise extremely passionate about, so I moved forward with my brand full-force in hopes of creating a beautiful space dedicated to us and others who need this support. With the encouragement of my loved ones and my community, I decided to pursue my dream of creating a line of sex toys for marginalized bodies that were constantly excluded.”
Hennessy envisions Eversense and its products “growing” with users through transitioning, aging or other changes to their bodies.
“Marginalized bodies are our focus, and we are working to create the most thoughtfully designed line possible,” he adds. “We hope to counteract dysphoria by turning sexual pleasure into gender-affirming self-care.”
Others, like Sara Williams, feel a calling. She launched Cliterature, a brand of sex toys that come packaged in book-shaped boxes, as a playful way to reject stigma.
“I believe all women should celebrate their sexuality and not be shamed for enjoying pleasure,” says Williams. “Because this market is very saturated and competitive, I knew I needed to do something different, so I came up with the idea of packaging our products in book-shaped boxes so that women no longer have to shove their toys in a drawer or stuff them under a mattress. Instead, they can display them on a bookshelf or bedside table.”
Yet others are inspired by discovering a new outlet for their own creative spirit and professional know-how. In her career as a PR/communications executive, Finkle has often found herself coaxing the mainstream media to cover something previously considered taboo. For her, filling a void in the lubricant marketplace was also about storytelling.
“I love projects that are vehicles to share how I see the world,” she says. “I saw an opportunity to introduce the skincare conversation to the sexual health and wellness space, and to meld sex with pop culture.”
All of these entrepreneurs are dreamers, but for Meyer, that’s literally the case. She left the hair care industry after a decade when the idea for Head South came to her in her sleep.
“One night, I had this vivid dream of lube bottles moving down a conveyor belt,” she recalls. “It got me thinking about my teenage years and how I naturally championed sex ed among my friends long before I even knew it could be a career. By 2021, I went all in, turning the idea into something real — starting with Head South Radio, a sexual wellness podcast, and later expanding into products.”
Meyer describes Head South’s formulas as minimalist. The lubes are vegan, gluten-free, paraben-free and glycerin-free.
“Our refillable glass bottles and recyclable packaging address sustainability without sacrificing style, offering products that look just as good on display as they feel in use,” she says. “What sets Head South apart is our focus on both education and intimacy advocacy. Weʼre not just here to sell products. We’re building community and starting real conversations to normalize pleasure and intimacy.”
Meyer believes that what sets new brands apart today is their ability to create a meaningful experience.
“Whether itʼs through design, storytelling, or education, the brands that catch my attention feel approachable, purposeful and community-driven,” she said. “They foster conversations about bigger topics — like self-care, empowerment and sustainability — which helps them connect more deeply with today’s shoppers.”
In the U.K., Ocean Toys also has taken inspiration from the environment. According to company director Daniel Miller, the brand is committed to supporting marine conservation organizations.
“Oceanic habitats and ecosystems are being damaged by littering, pollution and tourism, and as we live in a coastal location with the beautiful blue sea visible from our office windows, we felt passionate about trying to do what we can to help this cause,” Miller explains. “Producing fully eco-friendly products is an extremely difficult challenge, and we aren’t quite fully there with the technology and the ability to recycle it yet, so the next best thing we can do is to help our marine life through the sale of our products.”
Some entrepreneurs source their ideas more personally, using themselves as the target demographic. Sleev founder and CEO Jeff Domenighini says he developed his product based on his own experiences constantly traveling for work.
“I appreciated the feel of conventional strokers, but I didn’t have time for all the clean-up, plus I needed something much more portable,” he explains. “The style came about because I wanted to make a brand that was sleek and sexy, yet classy. I pictured a James Bond vibe.”
Sleev is pre-lubricated and sized to fit in a pocket while still offering full stimulation to the penis.
“Creating interesting and enjoyable products that solve a real problem or scratch a real itch will stand out the most,” Domenighini asserts.
In the bondage aisle, a lack of colorful, high-quality leather pieces inspired the launch of Neon Coyotes, Johnson says.
“We wanted to create playful designs in juicy colors without diluting the essence of BDSM,” she recalls. “Many brands do black and red leather extremely well, but we felt it was time to offer something bold and refreshing for those craving variety. Our pieces are durable, handmade with attention to detail and designed to be worn confidently beyond closed doors.”
No matter where they get their ideas, pleasure product manufacturers all aim to offer something fresh to the marketplace. Dan Dickinson, founder of Top Drawer Toys and creator of the Box Rocker, says that the company set out to make the world’s first hands-free vibrating and thrusting sex machine small enough to fit in a top drawer.
“We also wanted it to have on-the-fly adjustable stroke lengths with the press of a button, and to be usable in any position,” he notes. “And we needed it to be quiet, affordable and water-resistant. The Box Rocker bridges the gap between handheld vibrating wands/dildos and the costly, bulky sex machines that need their own secret soundproof room.”
Startup Trials and Tribulations
The early years of any business are formative and educational, but starting a company in the pleasure industry presents unique challenges. New companies must not only secure funding to bring their products to life and partner with distributors while competing with pioneering brands, but also navigate marketing obstacles on social media and all the stereotypes about sex toys.
Even with demand growing and cultural attitudes shifting, many investors remain hesitant to back intimacy-focused companies, Meyer laments.
“While brands like Maude, Dame and Cake have paved the way, newer companies often face slower growth, relying on bootstrapping and creative strategies to scale,” she says.
Finkle agrees, noting that for an independent brand like YCosmetics, even the cost of operating a booth at trade shows can be daunting. She jokes that she’ll own a signage printing business in her next life.
“We have to get creative in terms of how we present,” Finkle says. “How do I show to potential buyers on the floor and present with something better than my brand’s name hand-painted on four pizza boxes hot-glued together?”
Then there is the small matter of getting the public’s attention. Many industry newcomers cite the challenge of standing out in a crowded market.
For mainstream products and brands, employing social media for marketing is a no-brainer. While pleasure brands would love to do the same, industry newcomers quickly discover the built-in roadblocks.
“The biggest challenge is getting a new brand’s name out there,” Cliterature’s Williams says. “With so many restrictions on where we can advertise, it takes a lot of ingenuity to use social media platforms without breaking any of their stringent rules.”
According to Meyer, smaller brands are even more affected by censorship on social media.
“Larger brands with big budgets and celebrity endorsements often bypass these restrictions, forcing smaller brands to rely more on organic marketing and influencer partnerships to grow,” she notes. “These limitations also expose larger systemic issues around the policing of female pleasure, reproductive health and LGBTQ+ rights — issues that impact how brands in the space are perceived and supported.”
Even aside from the restrictions on marketing content, Domenighini observes, most consumers typically don’t want to broadcast their interest in pleasure products on social media.
“This just means we have to continue to get creative,” he says.
Lucy Banks, managing director of newbie marketing firm Million Billion Media, which caters to pleasure brands and adult creators, says that with the pleasure industry booming, it’s no longer enough just to have a good product.
“You need a unique identity and your brand needs to have a voice,” she says. “This can be tough when competing against established brands with bigger budgets, wider reach and more experience. Pleasure products are deeply personal, so customers expect quality, safety and transparency. New brands often face skepticism until they prove themselves.”
Jacky Y, founder and CEO of Lightning Star, which makes “custom pocket pussies to replicate some of the biggest OnlyFans creators,” finds that new brands still working to achieve market recognition also encounter skepticism within the industry.
“One of our biggest initial challenges was earning the trust of creators,” he says. “We dedicated significant effort to ensure creators felt safe partnering with us. Building that trust required transparency, consistent follow-through and a genuine commitment to their satisfaction. We take pride in delivering on our promises, ensuring creators feel comfortable, supported and engaged throughout the entire replication and manufacturing process.”
Ocean Toys’ Miller observes that it can be difficult for shoppers to differentiate among the many pleasure brands on the market.
“It’s important to establish your own unique and individual identity rather than becoming swamped in a sea of average, similar-looking and -sounding brands,” he says. “A brand story or ethos can help, but it will also require strong marketing support, including powerful imagery, product demonstrations and samples for customers to better understand the quality.”
The fact that competitors often have similar product designs also made Hennessy initially reluctant to share his designs on Eversense’s fundraiser campaign, since they were not trademarked or patented.
“I think for any brand, it’s a challenge to protect new concepts from other companies,” he says. “I love my designs, and I’ve put my heart and soul into them for my community. But after much thought and discussion, I decided to share them anyway, for the sake of transparent communication with my supporters. While I hope no one would take my designs, I realized that if someone were to steal them and use them, that would mean my mission is moving forward; more toys would be made for folks like me. I want that. I want more visibility for us. I want more options for us, even if they don’t come from me.”
Always Room for Improvement
Especially in their early years, new pleasure brands rely on the feedback of users and B2B clients to refine their products, marketing and strategy.
“On the retail side, the feedback suggests that we can improve our packaging design to better portray to the customers what the product is,” Domenighini says. “We’ve recently made some updates to the packaging that I’m very excited about. From the consumer side, we’ve used feedback to drive product development from the very start, and will continue to make subtle tweaks to the design.”
Neon Coyotes has implemented a post-purchase survey to gather customers’ opinions. However, Johnson finds that selling in person has been the company’s most valuable feedback channel.
“Watching shoppers interact with our products at Folsom Street Fair gave us clarity about our customer base, reshaping our brand voice and marketing approach just seven months after launch,” she says. “Initially, we aimed to appeal to a broader audience. We assumed we’d be showing people how to style our pieces and so forth. But now we’re leaning fully into our niche.
“Social media has also been a great source of insights,” Johnson adds. “For example, a poll on gag preferences led us to produce two styles based on customer demand. Small moments like these remind us how much we love this work, and we’re excited to keep building these connections in 2025.”
Full Circle Distribution/ Miami Distro President Mike Savage credits the feedback that he’s received from his clientele for helping him address the “mistakes” made in the company’s initial packaging, which led to the addition of hang tabs.
“I’m living and breathing pleasure products and doing my best to pay attention to the details,” Savage says. “I’m really focused on trying to make the right decisions that best serve our customers.”
Will Wang of Cupsland says constructive criticism regarding the stroker brand’s inner sleeve sizing has provided inspiration for future product iterations, and the company will solicit further feedback with an upcoming voting campaign.
“We haven’t fully tapped into retailers and distributors for feedback,” Wang says. “But this is an area we’re eager to expand into, and we warmly invite interested distributors to collaborate with us as we grow.”
Customer feedback will be Eversense’s main focus during the company’s next phase of development. As soon as product samples are manufactured, a focus group of over 50 people of varying identities will test them over two months while keeping a journal to log their feedback.
“Once we have everyone’s input, we’ll work it into our final designs,” Hennessy says. “These toys are for those whose needs aren’t being taken care of by the current market, so it just makes sense to get as much input as we can. The trans+ community has been such a great network, so why would we build our products based on assumptions and without asking what they need?”
Hitting Milestones
A lot can happen in a year for a pleasure brand startup. Highlights for the current crop of rookie brands have so far included trade show debuts, distribution deals, partnerships with major online retailers, media recognition and team growth.
Last year’s Vibe Expo in Los Angeles was the first time that Top Drawer Toys and Head South showcased their products.
“We launched the Box Rocker at that show,” Dickinson says. “We were a brand-new tiny company of two. Since then, we have been steadily growing and are even getting ready to release our next new product.”
Meyer says that participating in trade shows in 2024 was a game-changer. She began showcasing the Head South brand at major events just months after launching, hitting Vibe, Stimulate in Nashville and the New Jersey Women’s Expo.
“Vibe set the tone for our momentum, shaping my personal journey and inspiring a move to Los Angeles,” Meyer says. “These events led to press features, retail relationships and collaborations, allowing us to connect directly with buyers and consumers while gaining valuable feedback. I even spoke on my first panel at NY NOW. As someone whoʼs naturally shy and more accustomed to being behind the scenes, stepping into the spotlight as a founder and CEO has been a transformative growth experience.”
On top of receiving media attention, Head South also launched at Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie and Pop-Up Grocer.
“Iʼm especially proud to be stocked in female- and queer-founded boutiques like Please in Brooklyn and Awakening in Colorado — stores that share our values and discovered us through the trade shows,” Meyer says.
Ocean Toys also has enjoyed success in its first year, as Amazon is now selling its products in the U.K.
“They now hold stock in their own warehouses,” Miller says with pride.
Sleev is finding success on Amazon as well, having reached 15 five-star reviews, which Domenighini says helps boost organic Amazon traffic. On the B2B front, the company landed a distribution deal with Nalpac/Entrenue.
Johnson calls Neon Coyotes’ partnership with The Stockroom a significant milestone, one she initially hoped to achieve by year’s end but reached much sooner.
“This collaboration has given us invaluable insights into customer preferences, allowing us to experiment with new colors and showcase products in a well-respected retail space,” she says.
Eversense’s milestones so far include launching its website and Indiegogo campaign, and finalizing its first product designs to be sent to manufacturers.
“We hope to see our first two products, ‘holdme’ and ‘my-tie’, in the flesh and in the hands of our test group in the next few months,” Hennessy enthuses.
VVD Marketing Director Zoe highlights the launch of the company’s debut product, Rider Desire, as a key milestone.
“We’ve also built a strong brand presence across multiple platforms and formed partnerships with international retailers and distributors, expanding our reach globally,” she notes.
Lightning Star only launched in December, but has already shipped hundreds of units, touts Jacky Y. The company has also added more female creators to its collaboration roster and plans to expand into partnering with male creators.
A few of this year’s new brands are in the running for XMAs, a not-inconsiderable milestone even for longer-established brands. Cupsland, Head South and Ocean Toys have all been nominated for Best New Pleasure Brand. Ocean Toys is also up for a trophy in the Best Powered Sex Toy category.
Dreaming Big
Weathering challenges and celebrating milestones along the way, pleasure product startups in their sophomore year are gearing up for growth. Brands like Sleev and Full Circle Distribution have recently expanded their teams, while Lightning Star is actively growing its partnerships with creators. Top Drawer Toys is now ready to head into retail and e-tail spaces, after previously selling only on its website.
“In 2025, we’re planning for world domination,” Full Circle’s Savage jokes. “I’m just kidding; we’re after consistent continued growth. We’ve got three full-time salespeople coming on board and we’re looking to hire some more.”
Savage says that trade shows are also a big part of the company’s schedule in 2025.
“We’ll be attending about 15 trade shows,” he says. “We’re looking forward to meeting customers face-to-face, seeing old friends again and continuing to grow relationships.”
According to Wang, Cupsland is planning educational campaigns, interactive content and exclusive events to foster its relationships with shoppers and retailers. Ocean Toys aims to partner with wholesalers around the world, including the U.S., where Miller says he’s seen demand. Cliterature plans to add eight more styles to its “library,” and ID Wellness Essentials will expand its offerings.
“Our team is constantly researching the latest trends and advancements in technology to bring exciting and unique products to our customers, all while maintaining our commitment to affordability, quality and reliability,” affirms Westridge Laboratories founder and President Gregg Haskell.
According to Zoe, 2025 will be a pivotal year for VVD as the company will be increasing its marketing efforts, “especially on social media and through collaborations with influential content creators, to boost brand awareness and visibility.”
Finkle aims to tap into her PR expertise to work toward her goal of making YCosmetics the leading brand at the intersection of sex and pop culture.
“My goal is to have GloRilla reference our forthcoming products in a rap,” she says. “That is my personal KPI. We are also exploring partnerships with celebrity talent and ways to leverage my 20-year background as an entertainment industry executive to bring more awareness to what we are doing.”
In 2024, Neon Coyotes built a custom order widget that the company will be making noise about this year.
“We wanted to show that empowering oneself with a collar or presenting one to a partner can be an intimate experience,” Johnson says. “It lets customers easily personalize any of our styles with their choice of leather, hardware finishes and custom embossing, and get a custom fit. Choosing to be size-inclusive was a no-brainer — all are welcome, and we celebrate that. This tool is just another way we’re putting the power of self-expression directly in our customers’ hands.”
For Meyer, the ideal growth scenario is simply more of what’s already working for Head South.
“More partnerships with aligned retailers, more vibrant conversations on Head South Radio and maybe even more products to support our customers’ growing needs,” she speculates. “And perhaps — just maybe — a visionary investor or two who sees what we’ve built so far and wants to help take it to the next level.”
Meyer adds, however, that if the past year has taught her anything, it’s that “Magic happens when you stay open to the unknown.”
“So while I have big plans, I’m also leaving room for the surprises — the serendipitous connections, unexpected opportunities and synchronistic moments that remind me why I started Head South in the first place.”
As today’s startups dream big and chase ambitious goals, the future of the pleasure industry looks brighter, more inclusive, and undeniably exciting.
