Oura is a Finnish health technology company that makes the Oura Ring, the best-known smart ring for sleep and recovery tracking. Oura Health Oy is founded in 2013 in Oulu, Finland, by Petteri Lahtela, Kari Kivelä, and Markku Koskela, and launches its first ring via Kickstarter in 2015. The titanium ring packs infrared photoplethysmography sensors, a skin temperature sensor, and an accelerometer into a wearable the size of a wedding band, measuring heart rate, heart-rate variability, blood oxygen, body temperature trends, and movement. Its companion app distills the data into three daily scores for Sleep, Readiness, and Activity, an approach focused on recovery guidance rather than screens or notifications. The ring gains prominence when professional sports leagues, including the NBA, use it during the COVID-19 pandemic for early illness detection, and temperature-based cycle tracking later becomes a flagship feature. The fourth-generation Oura Ring 4 launches in 2024 with a fully titanium build and improved sensor accuracy, sold alongside a monthly membership that unlocks full insights. Oura has sold millions of rings, and a 2024 funding round that includes glucose-monitor maker Dexcom values the company at over five billion dollars. Oura remains an independent private company headquartered in Oulu, with offices in Helsinki and San Francisco, and sells through its own site, Amazon, and retailers such as Best Buy and Target.
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