LOS ANGELES — The California-based sextech startup, Lioness, has landed a coveted spot as one of the Top 10 finalists for the crowd-voted Last Gadget Standing competition at the upcoming 2020 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), set for January 9 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Of 58 entries, Lioness' second generation stimulator joins the likes of the MedWand home diagnostic tool, WOWCube gaming device, Phyn Smart Water Assistant, Flic button and the Ambassador Interpreter as this year's Top 10, notably marking the first time a sextech product has been recognized in the competition.
Finalists are chosen by a panel of industry experts and then voted on by crowd applause during a live event. Each finalist is invited to give a four-minute product demo for the chance to win.
In honor of its 20th anniversary year, Last Gadget Standing is promising a slate of surprises, including past winners, a commemorative show guide and of course, a thrilling presentation, hosted by New York Times columnist and host of the USA Today series, "Tech Now," Jennifer Jolly.
Additionally, organizers have introduced a new element to the competition, incorporating the first-ever People’s Choice Award, based on advance online voting. Voting is currently open and runs through January 7.
While CES predominantly honors the latest and best in consumer technology through its Innovation Awards Program, the Last Gadget Standing competition provides an opportunity for consumers themselves to take part in writing CES history. Past winners have included Roomba, Onstar, Palm Pilot, the Lytro camera, Kevo Smart Lock and the Eye-Fi Card, to name a few.
Lioness' inclusion in the long-running competition marks a historic shift in CES's approach to sextech. After coming under fire last year for stripping Lora DiCarlo of its Innovation Award, the Consumer Technology Association subsequently reissued the award to Lora DiCarlo for its Osé stimulator, which uses biomimicry to help facilitate blended orgasms, following public backlash. Organizers further announced that sextech products will officially be sanctioned at its 2020 show.
Initial responses to the announcement were steeped in skepticism, considering CES's fraught past that's rife with accusations of sexism and discrimination at a fundamental level. However, Lioness' recognition as one of the Last Gadget Standing finalists perhaps is an indication that CES made a commitment in earnest amidst heightened criticism and changing tides in the tech world.
Lioness previously made headlines earlier this year following an incident at a Samsung-sponsored femtech event where co-founder Liz Klinger was asked to remove her product, a smart vibrator that uses biofeedback to track arousal and orgasm, from display despite being explicitly invited to participate.
When asked why she was being asked to leave, a Samsung rep reportedly told her that her product was "unrelated to women's health" and therefore ineligible for exhibition.
In the months since, co-founder Anna Lee has been named to Forbes' prestigious 30 Under 30 list in the consumer technology sector, and Lioness is set to debut its next-generation vibrator at CES 2020. According to Forbes, in less than two years, the company has amassed "the largest data set of female physiology during arousal and orgasm" and are projected to do over $1 million in revenue next year.
While Klinger says that she is excited to be recognized at CES, it is by no means the end to an ongoing fight towards gender equity in tech.
"It’s extremely important to have advancements in our field recognized in venues like this, given the historical taboos in this area," she noted. "We think it’s a great step forward, though there’s still more progress to go.
"[We] look forward to seeing continued recognition of the [sextech] industry, especially with all of the innovations happening here."
The company's second-generation device builds on the success of its flagship Lioness vibrator, incorporating new graphics and enhanced AI to the patented biofeedback and precision sensor technology to provide visual representations that helps users track and identify "hotspots" in their arousal and orgasms. New remote control capabilities offer a more diverse array of options for play and discovery, both solo or with a partner.
Winners of the live show and online People's Choice Award will be announced Thursday, January 9 at 10:30 a.m. (PST).
For more information on Lioness, visit them online.
