Oura provides smart rings to U.S. military personnel in $96 million contract

Finnish health technology company Oura is set to provide its smart rings to U.S. military personnel. According to the U.S. Department of Defense, Oura will supply $96 million worth of the rings to active-duty service members, which is equivalent to approximately €87 million. The contract, signed in early October, will remain in effect until September of next year. Helsingin Sanomat was the first to report this news in Finland.

As noted by Defense Scoop, the exact number of rings involved in the delivery has not been disclosed, but retail prices for the devices in the U.S. range from $299 to $349. The agreement includes not only the rings but also Oura’s data analytics services, which will grant the Pentagon’s health department access to biometric data stored by the devices, particularly related to recovery and stress.

Oura is not a newcomer to the Department of Defense. Defense Scoop reported that the department’s innovation unit previously utilized Oura rings during the COVID-19 pandemic for early detection of infections. Last year, the U.S. Air Force distributed over 1,000 Oura devices to graduates of the First Sergeant Academy. In 2021, the U.S. Navy also provided around 300 rings to sailors and Marines aboard the USS Essex to study fatigue levels.