Meet Maude: The everyone brand that believes in your sexual wellness
Why we Invested?
It’s no secret that the sex industry has traditionally been dominated by men’s needs and desires. The sex product market is no different; its image is outdated and either male-focused or conceptualizing sex and women through a male gaze. As such, most of the sex product market fails to keep pace with consumers’ evolving attitudes towards sex, sexuality, and sense of style and aesthetics. Many products still feel cheap, a bit tacky, or a bit “Vegas,” leaving behind a sense of that “Friday night bad decision sex.” Consequently, the needs of women, LGBTQ and others whose needs fall outside this traditional, mainstream, male-focus are unmet and unsatisfied. Our sexual wellness is increasingly recognized as an important piece of our overall health and wellbeing and so it’s past time we embraced a healthy sexual practice as a form of self-care.
What differentiates them in the market relative to competitors
Maude is a part of a wave of brands who believe that sex products are long overdue for a design overhaul and drives their ambition to create a line of products that is inclusive of all bodies, sexualities and ages. Unlike their competitors, Maude sees sex as part of our holistic wellness, recognizing that sex is intrinsically linked to our physical and mental health. As such, Maude’s product line includes sex essentials as well as personal care and fragrance products to address the multiple dimensions of sexuality and wellness. They place an emphasis on quality, simplicity and inclusivity. Featured in 750+ publications including Vogue, Vanity Fair and the New York Times, Maude has been heralded as “redefining the sex essentials industry for modern consumers.”
Alongside building a market leader, the company takes their commitment to sexual wellness as a responsibility to support inclusive, sexual health and education for all people. Maude supports three non-profit organizations that are working to advance standards of comprehensive sex education through advocacy, education and accessibility across the country.
Why the founder/CEO is amazing, more about the rest of the team
Maude is steered by a strong, experienced team with a passion for writing the next chapter in the sexual wellness industry. The CEO Founder Eva Goicochea started her career as a legislative aide in healthcare and then a decade working with forward-thinking companies, and was an early employee at Everlane. She is joined by renowned actor Dakota Johnson as Co-Creative Director and Tyler Aldridge as Product Director, combining their backgrounds in branding, social media, healthcare, and product management. Together with the rest of the medical advisory board, they are committed to changing the industry and creating a company that stands for modern intimacy.
How Coyote Ventures met the team
Jess met Eva while she was raising her Seed round, and was part of the inspiration for Jess to start a women's health and sexual wellness fund. Maude has successfully secured funding in a number of seed and Series A rounds, bringing their total funding to over $10 million. They are the first brand selling sex-tech products to make it past the seed stage in more than half a decade.
How the company is advancing the conversation around (menopause, etc)
Maude is at the forefront of a movement breaking the taboo on sexual wellness, embracing the idea that a healthy sexual practice is an important element of self-care. The brand offers an alternative image of chic and minimalistic products that you want to ‘leave on the nightstand.’ Furthermore, their inclusive image shifts away from a male-focused or female-focused approach, with products that appeal to people of all genders. Their products are pared-back, clean, thoughtful, and high-quality, crafted from 100% natural and pH-balanced formulas. Maude offers a true alternative in the sexual wellness market.
Going forward: Vision of the Company
Maude is a wellness brand that focuses on redefining the sex essentials industry with products that are not gender specific, natural, and created for use before, during and after sex. Since raising their Series A, Maude has expanded their market share – enjoying more than 1.5 million visitors to their website each month – and is featured in several high profile and market-leading retailers including Bloomingdales, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue and Anthropologie. In February 2022, Maude launched a partnership with Sephora and is available in stores across the country, marking a new chapter for sexual wellness. Maude now ships to Canada, Australia, and Europe.