The non-dating dating apps, X onboard NSFW, Sextech School takeover

👋 HEY ALL!

There's a ton of exciting stuff that hasn't hit the headlines (yet). 👀

But that's why you're here—for the juicy inside scoop. This edition is packed with:

⭐ Opportunities for you to get involved with Sextech School alumni raising capital

⭐ New book releases on sex, power, and identity for 2024

⭐ A behind the scenes look at Sextech School from a student pov

And beyond my backyard, the news that caught my eye this week was... pretty meh.

According to pretty much everybody on the internet, dating is still a dumpster fire in 2024 - AND we're still using technology to try and fix it.

It's been reported that X(formerly Twitter) is now officially on board NSFW content.

And finally, even though I'm endlessly fascinated by AI companions and there's a woman in China currently going viral for posting about her boyfriend ChatGPT DAN, I'm taking a break from that topic this week. Stay tuned for a deep dive when I speak at Collision this month. If you're in Toronto, make sure to say hello!

Read on for:

🔥 this week in sextech

💼 job openings

🎪 community events

📚 opportunities to contribute

💸 investments

— Bryony

🔥 THIS WEEK IN SEXTECH

• 🫠 Is everything a dating app?

• ⚠️ X Formally Permits Labeled NSFW Content

🫠 Everything is a dating app

Dating app fatigue is at an all time high.

Whether it is paying for matches or dodging bots, dating apps are copping it for becoming a major buzzkill.

But humans be human-ing and finding other ways to meet a potential mate online. Hijacking technology for unintended uses isn't new, it is often how we evolve the products, so it'll be interesting to see how the dating apps respond.

And in the meantime, according to this article, DuoLingo and fitness tracker Strava are apps people are turning into dating platforms.

And surprise, surprise! Even LinkedIn isn't immune. The professional social network is now the place for unexpected romantic encounters and rekindling with exes... Because nothing says "professional" like reconnecting with your ex in the messaging section. eye rolls.

The advice on filtering for MBAs or a career in "investing" for your next match will 100% not save you from heartache, but at the very least, you'll avoid the bots!

⚠️X Formally Permits Labeled NSFW Content

X (formerly Twitter) has updated its rules to formally allow users to post consensually produced NSFW content, provided it is prominently labeled as such, including AI-generated material.

X has never really banned porn, but these clauses could let it build services around adult content — think creating an OnlyFans competitor to bolster its revenues.

💼 HOT JOBS

💻 Social Media Marketing Manager, Mira [Apply here]

🇳🇴 Marketing, Development, Customer Success, and Operations positions open, Sweet Tech [Apply here]

🇺🇸 Regional Sales Manager Femtech, Establishment Labs [Apply here]

🇺🇸 Integrations Specialist, Finance Systems, $89K-$110K annually, Bumble Inc. [Apply here]

🇺🇸 Senior Product Marketing Manager. $140K-$170K annually Seed Health [Apply here]

🇺🇸 TikTok Video Creator, $155K annually, Quinn [Apply here]

🇺🇸 Exhibitions & Curatorial Project Manager, $75K annually, Museum of Sex [Apply here]

🎪 EVENTS

💻 June 10-11, Promoting Mental Health for Sexual and Gender Minority Youth: Evidence-Based Developmental Perspectives, The Daily [RSVP]

🇬🇧 June 12, S Plus Association Launch Party [RSVP]

🇺🇸 June 12-15, Missouri USA, AASECT 2024 Annual Conference American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT) [RSVP]

🇨🇦 June 17-20, Toronto, 'Would you still love me if I was a chatbot?' Collision Conf with Bryony Cole (that's me!), Yuliya Sotska, Grindr's AJ Balance

🇺🇸 July 15-17, Florida USA, Exxxotica [RSVP]

🇦🇺 June 28, Astor Theatre, Erotic Cinema Club, by High Tide [see this post and more showing details HERE]

📚 NEW READS

Sticky, Sexy, Sad: Swipe Culture & The Darker Side of Dating Apps, by Treena Orchard.

The first account by anthropologist who shares her personal experiences of dating apps alongside insights into how they are transforming sex/uality, relationships, and technology in our daily lives.

👉 Order

Being Bad by Arielle Egozi

This is a book about what it takes to break ground, which is really just what it takes to be yourself.

"When I listed “sex work” as a LinkedIn work experience, it wasn’t for press, money, or any kind of fame, but to simply take another step closer to myself.

A lot of the world didn’t like it, and some of the world did. Either way, it doesn’t matter. I wasn’t doing it for anyone but myself."

👉 Pre-Order

💸 INVESTMENT

💸 LustLab seeking investment

Sextech School alumnus Alex Georges is gearing up to capital raise for his Ethical AI Adult Content Infrastructure platform. He's working with our friends from Community VC. If you'd like to follow along his journey as he build out his company and also his pitch to Investors, you can do so here. He's always welcoming more support and on the look out for advisors.

💸 CHOICE closing final 10%

Choice is on a mission to de-stigmatize paid companionship and intimacy while making it safer for everyone. Founder Arik Brückner, a fellow Sextech School alumnus is closing out the final 10% of funds in his capital raising round and looking to speak with anyone that believes in the problem they are solving at CHOICE. Read more here.

💰 Fertility app Natural Cycles closes $55M Series C

Want to see what happens at Sextech School? For the next 6 weeks you can follow one of our cohort members as they go on their journey as part of Cohort 14.

That’s a wrap for this week.

— Bryony