June 2 was a Sunday and it was the date of Startup Weekend Vancouver, hosted by the Kauffman Foundation. It was at this event focused on disruptive tech that new hardware start-up company Intiimi Technologies was conceived. The company is due to launch officially early next year, around Valentine’s day, the significance of which will become more apparent as this post unfolds …
So, disruptive technology, including 3D printing, is at the heart of this new venture. The company is developing new products focused on soft robotics, wearable computing, contextual computing all with an emphasis on mass customiztion. The product sector? Well, if you haven’t guessed from the company name, it is sexual wellness.
Bartosz Bos, Product Architect and Cofounder of Intiimi Technologies tells me the company’s name — “Intiimi” — is the Finnish word for intimacy reflecting the stated remit of “developing sexual wellness products for women, men and everyone in between.”
Bartosz explains this further: “Intiimi is a new class of sexual wellness products designed from the ground up to enhance people’s sexual experiences by measuring bodily functions and providing real-time feedback to the user(s) via the devices themselves and an ecosystem of apps designed for use on mobile devices.”
This is one further application where mass customization, enabled by additive manufacturing, aims to fulfill the precise and individual requirements of the end-user. No off-the-shelf (or internet) products here.
This is not a gimmick either, the background of the company’s founders includes many years of industrial AM and 3D printing experience, and Intiimi products will be made with only the highest grades of medically approved, biocompatible materials — a combination of the best of artisanal craftsmanship with additive manufacturing technologies. Specifically, the AM tech will be the Connex multimaterial process from Stratasys.
The stated goal is to “set a new standard for pleasure devices, by developing the first truly smart toy for adults.” But, because “men and women approach sexuality in different ways, we’re developing products for both.”
Working with stakeholders from the tech and medical industries, Intiimi Technologies is develop high-end devices “comparable to (and surpassing) the offerings of current industry leaders such as Sweden’s Lelo and Germany’s Fun Factory.”
In conclusion, well, I’ll let Bartosz conclude: “What we’re working on isn’t merely a vibe. It’s an entirely new class of device. Like nothing on the market. We’re changing the game completely. What was once just a motor and batteries will soon be a user centered product ecosystem.”
For anyone interested in what’s coming you can sign up for notifications here, or alternatively keep track of developments via twitter @intiimi.
