“STEP OUT OF THE GRAY ZONE” – 10 Questions for SXTech Founder Ola
SXTech EU is a space where technology, policy, culture, and innovation in the adult industry openly intersect. For the first edition of 10 Questions for…, I spoke with Ola, founder of SXTech, about ethics, censorship, monopolization, and what it will take for our industry to step into its full potential.
Her pragmatic yet sensitive perspective — and her clear-eyed view of the structural pressures shaping our industry — is something I deeply relate to as the founder of a sex-positive escort agency.
Marie
Founder of Moonlight Society
SXTech Conference Berlin 2025, Photo: Michal Algebra
1 – Marie: SXTech has become more than a conference – it’s a hub for visionaries, founders, and creatives from all over the world. What was your initial vision, and how has it evolved?
Ola: From the very beginning, SX Tech Europe was envisioned as a business and networking hub across multiple industry segments. We started with annual conferences, then expanded into the Berlin Sex Tech Meetup scene and a global online community for professionals entering the space. In 2023, we launched our digital marketing agency, SXPR.
Coming from the tech world, we saw how underdeveloped and overlooked the adult sector was. Sextech operates on the same technological level as mainstream tech, yet lacks a modern, forward-thinking ecosystem. We wanted to build a movement — amplifying a new generation of founders, especially women, and bringing fresh energy into an industry that urgently needed visibility.
“We wanted to build a movement — amplifying a new generation of founders, especially women, and bringing fresh energy into an industry that urgently needed visibility.”
2 – SXTech lives at the crossroads of intimacy, ethics, technology, and business. What challenges arise in that intersection?
The adult industry is one of the most restricted business categories globally. We face financial discrimination, digital censorship, and inconsistent legal frameworks. These challenges impact companies, but also raise deeper ethical questions around privacy, user rights, and the rights of sex workers. The space is deeply political. That complexity is what makes it fascinating to me. Creating solutions inside restrictive structures is where innovation truly happens.
3 – Across Europe we’re seeing both openness and backlash. How do you read the current cultural climate?
The industry mirrors broader political shifts, especially across the EU, where conservatism is rising. Censorship is often politically motivated. Banks and payment providers frequently restrict adult-related transactions. What’s particularly concerning is monopolization. Large platforms survive regulatory pressure; small and medium-sized players disappear. Censorship doesn’t always look like bans — sometimes it’s structural exclusion. If the industry were more centralized, cooperative and organized with stronger internal representation, it could become far more sustainable and productive.
“The adult industry is one of the most restricted business categories globally. We face financial discrimination, digital censorship, and inconsistent legal frameworks. Creating solutions inside restrictive structures is where innovation truly happens.”
4 – How do you preserve SXTech’s ethos in an industry that can become purely commercial?
Commercial growth isn’t inherently negative. Mainstream visibility brings investment and legitimacy. The issue isn’t commercialization — it’s responsibility. Private tech companies don’t need to be activist movements. But they should be regulated, transparent and socially accountable. That’s where business and ethics meet.
5 – What does “Sextech” mean to you beyond products?
The term has become too narrow. That’s why we shifted branding from “Sextech Conference” to SX Festival and SX Expo. Technology underpins every part of the adult industry — whether e-commerce, content platforms, or digital communities. But the adult space is much broader: it’s a global ecosystem of pleasure, intimacy, kink, and sexual wellness. It’s one of the fastest-growing sectors of the modern economy.
“Commercial growth isn’t inherently negative. Mainstream visibility brings investment and legitimacy. The issue isn’t commercialization — it’s responsibility.”
6 – Your work connects activism, entrepreneurship, science and art. What inspires you most?
I don’t call myself an activist — I operate commercially and transparently. Over the past decade, I’ve worked with more than 150 companies in adult tech. Science is fundamental because data, research and proof of concept build credibility. Art, meanwhile, acts as a connective force — translating complex issues into experiences people can emotionally relate to.
7 – What structural changes are needed for more marginalized founders to succeed?
There’s a lack of business education and accelerator programs tailored to this industry. In mainstream tech, these exist. In adult tech, they don’t. Progress must come from within. Major platforms need to invest back into the ecosystem. Right now, commercial bias dominates platform design and advertising economics. The real issue isn’t vision — it’s systemic access.
“There’s a lack of business education and accelerator programs tailored to this industry. In mainstream tech, these exist. In adult tech, they don’t.”
8 – Where do you see the biggest opportunities and risks in how technology shapes intimacy?
The creator economy and AI-driven tools are currently the most dynamic areas. The major risk lies in excessive, poorly tested regulation — particularly age verification systems requiring biometric data. Centralized databases linking individuals to sexual preferences pose serious privacy risks. Large corporations can afford compliance. Independent platforms cannot. That accelerates monopolization.
SXTech Conference Berlin 2025, Photo: Michal Algebra
9 – What needs to change structurally for this industry to be taken seriously?
Real impact happens when regulation and policy are influenced. That’s why we created the Vice Policy Digital Forum — bringing developers, founders, sex workers, NGOs and policymakers into one room. Industry events should prioritize transparency and collaboration over spectacle. To be taken seriously, the adult industry needs formal institutions and unified representation.
“Real impact happens when regulation and policy are influenced. To be taken seriously, the adult industry needs formal institutions and unified representation.”
10 – If you could make one wish for the future of the adult tech industry?
I wish major adult tech companies would invest back into the ecosystem — supporting startups, women founders, creators and queer communities. In mainstream tech, that’s standard practice. In our industry, it’s rare. The adult space needs to step out of the gray zone and act like the tech ecosystem it truly is.
Will we see you at the next edition of SxFestival Expo 2026?
Photo: Michal Algebra
Conversations about monopolization, censorship, and responsibility continue at SXFestival Expo 2026 in Berlin, where founders, policymakers, and creators meet face to face. If you’d like to be part of that exchange, you can find more information here:
