Sex Brand is on a mission to help us all rethink sexual wellness. Jack Gove founded the company after going to buy condoms with his partner and finding the whole experience outdated and uninspiring. To him, it felt more like shopping for something you’d use to cure an ailment, rather than something to make sex safer and more enjoyable.
It was an opportunity Jack couldn’t ignore, so he started developing a sexual wellness brand that was all about positivity, thoughtful design and modern lifestyles. “I wanted to build something culturally relevant,” he says.
The company launched with what Jack describes as the UK’s most ethical condom. He spent his savings on research to develop fully recyclable wrappers, ways to remove unnecessary chemicals and sourcing materials from regenerative farmers. That said, Sex Brand is more than a condom company. Its deeper purpose is to encourage more people to celebrate healthy, happy sex lives. So you won’t find them in chemists, instead you can find them in lifestyle stores, showing how good sex should be part of everyday life, not on a shelf next to the fungal nail gel.
Finding a perfect match
For product-based businesses, like Sex Brand, a lot of research, development, and compliance are needed before you can start selling. As Jack puts it, “you can’t make condoms in your kitchen and start selling them”. It's a process that requires upfront investment and negotiating long development timelines.
Having worked with start-up fashion brands, Jack already knew he needed investors to get the business off the ground. He got things started with an early backer, but Sex Brand’s future growth is reliant on sales and new investment. “You need to be actively trading to make the business grow and to attract new capital when it’s needed,” he explains. Getting products into the hands of consumers is what can pique investor interest.
However, finding investors isn’t just about a great idea and early customer interest; a solid operational setup is key. Jack explains, “Investment is based on historical financials and your current financial model. So if I’m not able to run the day-to-day business, there's no way I will be able to raise money.” It’s these day-to-day demands that can keep entrepreneurs away from their main focus of developing their business.
Simplifying operations to grow ambitions
Knowing this was paramount, Jack went looking for tools to simplify the financial side of things, which is when he started using Apron. It was actually Jack’s accountant who said, “You need to use this, it’s going to make your life so much easier”.
Now he uses it every day to automate and simplify his core financial admin. Jack explains, “I use Apron for three things: capturing invoices, paying invoices and expenses.” On a recent trip to America to meet with manufacturers and distributors, he explains that using Apron to pay for gas, food and living expenses made everything “so much simpler”. Giving Jack the peace of mind that the business's financial processes are in great shape while he shifts his attention to growth, product development and strategy, something that really helps when meeting investors. Jack makes it clear, “Investments are based on a much bigger financial picture, and Apron is definitely a part of that landscape.”
Shaping the future of intimate pleasure
When speaking about Sex Brand, Jack likens starting the business to “giving birth to a baby in an 18th-century Parisian slum. There are a million things that can kill it, and your job is to get it robust enough that it can stand on its own two feet.” Right now, he says the business is coming out of its toddler phase, expanding beyond condoms into new products designed to support sexual wellbeing, libido and healthier intimate experiences.
As the brand grows, Jack’s combination of great products, a great brand and a solid business foundation, supported by Apron, is helping to attract new investors. It means Jack can continue to focus on building a more open, modern and celebratory future for sexual wellness.
