Silicon Valley has long attracted young entrepreneurs and software engineers with the promise of wealth. Now it shimmers with an additional appeal: sex.

The technology boom has given many of the industry's workers in the San Francisco bay area money, confidence and a hedonistic tinge at odds with the stereotype of shy geeks.

Long hours in front of a computer remain the norm but they are also packing bars, splashing cash and using dating apps in a thriving hookup culture.

Business models old and new are responding to demand for one-night stands as well as soul mates. The competition between dating apps has been called an "arms race", with one startup flying in single women from New York to meet potential partners. Sex workers, meanwhile, are charging thousands of dollars per night.