Health-tracking ring maker Oura announced it is opening a manufacturing facility in Fort Worth, Texas, to support its largest enterprise customer, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), bolster its global footprint and "enhance agility and specialization" to meet the needs of the DoD.
The Finnish company's water-resistant ring consumer wearables are used to measure resting heart health, activity and movement, sleep and rest, stress, women's health and metabolic health.
The DoD and Oura formed a partnership in 2019 to "enhance human performance across all branches of the armed services," the ring maker said in a statement.
The company said its Oura Ring is advancing defense operations in the areas of stress management, resilience training, fitness optimization, fatigue risk management and early illness detection.
Oura states the Texas facility will fulfill defense contracts and feature enhanced security measures, innovative production practices and advanced automation. It will open in 2026.
"As we deepen our long-standing relationship with the U.S. Department of Defense, we're proud to expand manufacturing to the United States," Tom Hale, chief executive officer of Oura, said in a statement.
"Our technology prioritizes security and has been proven in the most extreme environments – delivering a clear edge in accuracy, battery life, and wearability. We are committed to equipping service members and leadership with precise biometric data and robust solutions to support readiness, resilience, and effectiveness."
THE LARGER TREND
In June, New York-based virtual women's health provider Maven Clinic announced its partnership with Oura, allowing Oura Ring wearers to sync their data with Maven's digital reproductive health and family platform.
Through the partnership, Maven Clinic's care teams will have access to wearers' biometric data from the Oura Ring, including sleep, stress and activity data.
In May, Oura announced it was expanding its partnership with glucose monitoring specialist Dexcom to provide users of its continuous glucose monitor Stelo and Oura ring wearers with metabolic health features, including meal insights and glucose data.
Last year, Dexcom made a $75 million strategic investment in Oura, and the companies announced they had established a strategic partnership.
Oura appointed its first chief medical officer, Dr. Ricky Bloomfield, in March and last December closed a $200 million Series D funding round, which brought the company's valuation to $5.2 billion.
In 2021, Oura scored $100 million in a Series C round. The company garnered $28 million in Series B funding in 2020.
