"We are the onlyfans for audio".

Voiyal offers intimate voicemails from porn stars and has already attracted big names. In an interview, co-founder Pauline Schmiechen talks about what her parents say about it, what the creators say - and why Voiyal is safe in the workplace.

It's hard to imagine 2022 without voice messages. Whenever there's not a free hand, people talk into their smartphones, headphones, or with their voice assistants at home. So if people have to listen to audio all the time, why not intimate voice messages from erotic stars? Pauline Schmiechen came up with this idea at the Venus trade fair in Berlin at the phone sex booth. A few months later, her start-up Voiyal is live and she has already been able to inspire big names in the scene: Shaiden Rogue is on board, Janice Griffith as well. But what excites people about audio erotica and how do you actually find investors? Startbase asked.

Ms. Schmiechen, you run Voiyal, a start-up in the adult entertainment sector. Do you encounter many prejudices?

We live in Berlin, which is probably the most liberal city when it comes to sex. We have Art Porn Week here, and there are even regular sex parties. We feel very comfortable here and haven't had any bad experiences so far when we've talked about our start-up. On the contrary, most people at dinner parties are very interested when I tell them what I do. And fortunately, my parents are okay with it, too.

Then the search for investors is probably an easy one.

Unfortunately not. We have two very visionary business angels in Kersten Jodexnis and Oliver Blume, who invested in our start-up even before our pivot and are now very happy to go along with the new direction. But finding a VC to invest in adult entertainment in the rather bourgeois rest of Germany is generally very difficult. That's why we're concentrating more on the U.S. in the current financing round.

You've already mentioned it: You've made a pivot. What did you do before that?

Originally, my co-founder, Florian Pontalti, and I founded a social media app based only on audio. After all, classic social media platforms work primarily visually, but not with many other devices like AirPods or Smartspeakers. Still, our first idea didn't work out that way. It didn't seem clear to anyone what exactly they were supposed to post and listen to - Clubhouse says hello. But what immediately stood out was that most people were very, very happy to talk about intimate topics like sex or relationships. That's how we came up with the idea for Voiyal.

How does Voiyal work?

At Voiyal, users can register and then listen to voice messages from various creators. Among others, we have internationally known stars like Shaiden Rogue, Janice Griffith and Katya Clover on board, who talk about their lives in intimate voice messages exclusively for their fans. This can be anything from today's shopping trip, to a bedtime story, to really intimate secrets. The creators are completely free and know best what their fans want to hear.

Listening to intimate voice messages with your eyes closed and only your own imagination can't be beat for intimacy and authenticity.

Pauline Schmiechen

Adult entertainment today is very diverse and still very visual, sometimes even already with VR glasses or in 3D. Why should users reduce themselves to the medium of audio?

Listening to intimate voice messages with your eyes closed and only your imagination can't be beat for intimacy and authenticity. Why? Because the creators aren't standing in a perfectly lit set, no three cameras are filming them, and they haven't spent hours putting on makeup to look even more perfect. The voice messages are therefore often very spontaneous and for that very reason much more authentic and intimate. A bedtime story from a creator is something completely different than a visual mass product. We have already seen this dynamic at Onlyfans, which is why we like to say: We are the Onlyfans for audio.

How much does it all cost?

Every voice message longer than 30 seconds costs a drop. This is our internal currency and is currently priced at one US dollar. Users buy these drops in packages and can then purchase voice messages directly from Creatorn in exchange. You can also chat with the stars, then also for one drop or one US dollar per message. If the audio file is shorter than 30 seconds, it automatically serves as a free teaser.

What does your business model look like?

The creators basically get 60 percent of the revenue, and some larger advertisers get significantly more. We keep the rest for the development of the platform, the operation of the site and the fees to the payment providers. As a matter of principle, we do not communicate any other figures to the outside world.

How do you find users in the first place, since you don't advertise?

The users come via the creators, who promote their content on our platform in their own interest. Most of them are already fans who want to get a little closer to their stars through intimate voice messages - almost as if their own girlfriend or boyfriend were sending them a voice message.

However, as a modern and self-confident woman, I personally have no desire to be put in such pink vanilla drawers with my desire either!

And in what situations do your users listen to these voice messages?

There are no limits to the whole conversation in this regard, but I'll put it this way: Since literally no one they what you are listening to voicemail, we are definitely "safe for work" and for any other place.

I'm guessing your users are mostly male.

No, we are open to any gender and any age for our target group and platform, as long as the age of majority is given. After all, there are some similar startups that have a more female focus. However, as a modern and self-confident woman, I personally have no desire to be put in such pink vanilla drawers with my desire!

Thank you very much for the interview.

Personal details: Pauline Schmiechen is 28 years old, founder and CTO of Voiyal. She previously gained experience at Axel Springer and Foodora before founding her own startup with her best friend from school in 2020.