Bump’n is closing the sexual pleasure gap, one accessible sex toy at a time.
Meet Heather Morrison & Andrew Gurza, brother-sister duo and co-founders of Bump’n — a taboo busting brand removing sexual barriers for people with disabilities.
We caught up with Heather for a chat to learn more about Bump’n, the challenges of running a business in a taboo-filled industry, and the overwhelming response from their clients. Check out what she had to say below:
What’s Bump’n? And what led to the inception of it?
Founded by myself and my brother Andrew, Bump’n is a hardware startup creating the first line of accessible sex toys designed for and by people with disabilities — stemming from the shocking fact that while the WHO declares sexual pleasure as a human right, it’s out of reach for hundreds of millions of people worldwide due to disabilities, ageing, arthritis and other hand limitations.
While we started with Andrew’s lived experience as a disabled man and his declining inability to self-pleasure due to his disability, we found that the issue actually extended very broadly, affecting many people with disabilities. When we surveyed the community we found that 56% of people living with physical disabilities had difficulty self pleasuring, 64% cited hand limitations and 92% wanted a toy designed for them, regardless of whether they had difficulty or not, echoing the need for inclusive design in the growing sex tech industry.
At Bump'n, we believe in everyone’s human right to ‘bump and grind’ and experience sexual pleasure, and so we are on a mission to bump the barriers that stand in the way. We’ve started with hand limitations because it's the biggest barrier to both unaided self-pleasure and to using the toys currently on the market.
“While the WHO declares sexual pleasure as a human right, it’s out of reach for hundreds of millions of people worldwide due to disabilities, ageing, arthritis and other hand limitations.”
What’s something that surprised you when you were building Bump’n?
There have been a lot of ups and downs and ongoing surprises, much like most startups. For me, personally I was and still am shocked at the lack of innovation in this space. It represents a huge problem but also a massive opportunity. Because the taboo around sex and disability is so huge, there is low problem recognition and thus, the category suffers from what we call ‘innovation impotence’. Anyone brave enough to step into the light and open up the conversation on sex & disability will find that there are lots of opportunities to help and launch successful products and services for this overlooked group.
Could you let us in on some of the challenging aspects of your business that you’ve had to overcome since you started?
Probably the biggest challenges arise due to the ongoing taboo around sex, masturbation and disability. Facebook won't take our money, infrastructure is set up to avoid what they consider 'vice' categories like sex — so it’s challenging to find insurance providers, for example. Many investors and grant governors, while they may tell you to your face they love what you're doing, don't want their names publicly attached to a sex toy brand no matter how much you wrap it up in human rights. So I often feel like we've picked one of the hardest problems to solve — but then again, if it was easy, everyone would be doing it. We're happy to be the first to break down the barriers and hopefully help pave the way for others behind us.
”Because the taboo around sex and disability is so huge, there is low problem recognition and thus, the category suffers from what we call ‘innovation impotence’.”
What’s the best piece of advice that you’ve received on your journey?
We have an amazing advisory group and coaching team. The best advice I’ve received comes from the infamous Cindy Gallop (founder of Make Love, Not Porn) who told us early-on that everything we do should bring the taboo out of the shadows, and to not hide away from our mission or the taboo that sits around it, but face it head on. And so we have!
What has the response from your clients been like?
We've had an amazing amount of support from the disabled community and Occupational Therapists since we've launched and that support and encouragement has only grown (and helped fuel us forward). PwD (People with Disabilities) are tired of being overlooked and ignored when it comes to their sexuality and have truly rallied around us and collaborated with us every step of the way.
“I often feel like we've picked one of the hardest problems to solve — but then again, if it was easy, everyone would be doing it.“
What’s been a major highlight for you over the past year?
Late last year we officially launched pre-sales in line with International Day for People with Disabilities. This was the culmination of 2.5 years of work, designing our first product from scratch and testing/iterating with the disabled community. It was a big moment — and to make it even bigger, we launched a campaign to explain the features of the product which mimicked an Apple-esque product launch — including having Andrew dress up as a Steve Jobs character. Watch the hero film here.
What gets you excited for a new work week?
I experience Sunday dread just like everyone else! Sometimes the amount on your task list is daunting and ultimately a lot of it starts and stops when you do. But what keeps us going is the regular emails and messages we get from people thanking us for what we're doing and sharing our excitement and passion. That absolutely fuels us and gets us excited to keep moving and keep pushing forward :)
In 2022, what’s the biggest goal that you’re working to achieve for Bump’n?
We are working hard to sell out our first run of Bump'n Joysticks and get them into homes and bedrooms around the world. This would mean giving people around the world their right to sexual pleasure and independence! We are also opening a new funding round in April and will be seeking funding to keep us going and growing :)
And more broadly speaking, what does success look like for you? What would you say is your North star?
We are a little brand with big ambitions - Our mission is to bump the barriers that stand in the way of sexual pleasure. And we will do this through a full range of accessible products and accessories, a taboo busting brand and sex ed that aims to close the pleasure gap. We have chosen to start with the disabled community but it can certainly extend to anyone and everyone who has barriers standing in their way.
For anyone who believes in what we're doing and wants to be involved please reach out. And if you’d like to help give the gift of sexual pleasure and independence, please donate (all donations will be used to fund an orgasm for someone in need.)
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You can check out Bump’n’s first product, The Bump’n Joystick on their website.
