Interview: Kiiroo – From ‘Demolition Man’ to Sex Toys

The winner of over fifteen adult industry awards and holding the title of “Top 10 Fastest Growing Startups in the Netherlands,” they have a great story on how they got their start, how they make their concepts reality, and how they keep their team motivated to create top-notch products in the marketplace.

How did the company get its start?

A few years ago, one of our co-founders was watching the 1992 movie Demolition Man and there’s a scene where Sylvester Stallone and Sandra Bullock have virtual sex with one another using interconnected helmets. That sparked the idea for Kiiroo when our co-founder thought to himself, “but what if it really was possible to feel my partner from any distance?”

He then got a small team together to get prototyping, and lo and behold, it was possible to send touch through the Internet!

What is a typical day like at Kiiroo?

It depends on who you talk to. Our team is very diverse, and the projects we work on span from software to hardware inspired so on any given day you could see anything from new products being stress tested to new designs being thought out to TikTok’s being filmed… in each corner of our office you will find something different!

How do you find and retain people? Any cool things you do for your employees that you could share?

We have a handful of colleagues who were introduced to the company by other colleagues. This really makes a difference, because we know their personalities will fit into the team and the company. Otherwise, the usual – job posts on LinkedIn etc.

Our team is very social, we enjoy a good Friday (or any other day) drink together, and we enjoy loads of themed days such as 1920’s and 1970’s day where we get in character and enjoy a day of work and an evening of enjoyment together.

Alongside this, our team will be headed to Belgium for our company Christmas party, two days of team building, good food, lots of drinks and dancing.

How do you come up with new concepts and how do you decide which one will be made into a product?

Everything is centered around our users and market research.

Our main aim with product development is for our products to fulfill our users’ needs, wants and desires, and to cater to different pleasure zones. We know that everyone’s body is different so we aim to develop products that will cater to those bodies.

Our design team analyzes trends, new technologies, and generates a lot of ideas in the form of sketches on paper. Some of these ideas are then discussed internally and move to the product design phase.

Fortunately, we have an amazing group of loyal testers that objectively rate our ideas and prototypes before they make it to production, to help us manufacture products that will empower and satisfy our future users.

Tell us about one of your biggest successes and what you’re most proud of.

About two years ago we produced our flagship automatic interactive masturbator; Keon. Since we launched Keon, we have produced approximately 16-20 new FeelStars’ strokers, and six generic vulva and butt strokers to go inside the Keon to use as an automatic (male/penis-centric) masturbator. We knew that we wanted this range to expand, so we’ve developed add-ons such as a multifunctional sex pillow, a phone holder, neck strap, hand strap and table clamp so that Keon users can use it in any position they please.

This month we will add the newest innovation for Keon turning it in to an interactive sex machine which we know is going to be a game changer for the webcam industry. Not only is it a sex machine, but it’s also the first interactive one with multiple features for webcam that are available through the FeelPerformer app. It will also be the cheapest sex machine on the market, coming in at just less that 400 USD!

How do you decide on which performers to use for FeelStar?

We believe our FeelStars are truly special. So, when looking for a new addition to the team we take a lot of time getting to know each candidate and how their fans relate to them.

Other things we take into consideration are industry reputation, number of followers and general health of their accounts (do they break rules on social media, and have they been banned multiple times), how they manage their online presence, how much (and how often) they engage with their fans across their social channels and fan platforms and finally, we look for someone that has a passion for sales. That’s what this is all about after all.

We know there are many smart, beautiful models out there, but we always look for ones ready to work hard and stay dedicated to the success of their stroker. We love our FeelStars not only as business partners, but as true fans ourselves.

What do you like most about being in the adult industry and what are the challenges?

The adult industry is almost always first to adopt new and innovative technology.

When we create something wild and exciting, like our automatic masturbator; Keon or our g-spot egg-shaped vibrator with a light on the tail, the adult industry says, “YES we want that!” and the mainstream industry needs a moment to think how they feel about it.

Aside from that, there are many terrific people who work in the adult industry, and at each event it is amazing to see everyone again.

The biggest challenges are staying ahead of our competition. There are some really great innovations on the market, so trying to innovate in new and different ways is sometimes a challenge.

What do you think is the most valuable asset Kiiroo has as a company and why?

Our innovative, interactive technology that sends touch through the Internet – whether it’s with couples, 2D, VR or webcam content, we take pride in ensuring our customers feel satisfied.

What is your goal for Kiiroo in the next five years?

We will be creating more innovative products and services. We have big plans for our interactive sex toys for couples and singles and want to bring our customers closer together regardless of where they are in the world. This will be reflected in the new products and services we launch.

Follow Kiiroo on their Twitter @kiiroo, Instagram @kiirooamsterdam, and YouTube.