Dame Products Raises $4 Million in Seed Funding
Dame Products, which sells vibrators and sexual wellness items, has raised $4 million in seed funding from a variety of women-run ventures.
The company, cofounded by “sex expert” Alexandra Fine and mechanical engineer Janet Lieberman-Lu, has previously relied on crowdfunding, raising less than $1.5 million via platforms such as Kickstarter since its launch six years ago. It plans to use the seed funding to expand its team and product assortment, fund research and assemble a clinical advisory board of therapists, herbalists, doctors and scientists.
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In a statement, Fine acknowledged a cultural shift toward greater understanding of “how sexual pleasure and pleasure products are an intrinsic part of our general health and wellness.”
“The more we can acknowledge the overall impact of sexual wellness — or the lack thereof — the more we’ll continue to learn from each other’s experiences, allowing us to be better partners, better lovers and ultimately happier humans,” she said.
The round of funding was led by Listen, with participation from Chingona Ventures, The Community Fund, Her Capital, HP Reformation Ventures, IgniteXL Ventures, Joyance Partners and angels such as Christiane Lemieux, Ashley Hartman, Kirstan Barnett and Sonia Nagar.
Dame is in growth mode: The company experienced a 100 percent year-over-year increase in sales in 2020. Its vibrator Arc, which is priced at $115, sold out within 72 hours of the initial launch, and continued to sell out three more times last year.
Multiple product launches are slated for 2021, the first of which is Aer, a “suction toy” that retails for $95.
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