The smart ring maker is rolling out its first metabolic health feature this fall

Oura, makers of the sleek smart ring, has acquired Veri, a Finnish personalized metabolic health company. The deal is expected to advance the Oura ring to new levels in terms of health data as it goes toe to toe with Samsung’s Galaxy Smart Ring. The two companies have worked together before. Last year, Oura had partnered with Veri to understand the relationship between sleep and glucose biomarkers.

Oura CEO Tom Hale noted that metabolic health is not only a natural next dimension of the wearable tech brand, but one that’s been requested by Oura customers. 

The company has sold over 2.5 million smart rings since its 2013 launch.

Big Interest in Metabolic Health

Metabolic health certainly is top of mind for Oura wearers. The wearable tech company shares that 97% of members have expressed interest in understanding the correlation between food and its impact on their health. One survey of Oura members revealed that 13% have worn a continuous glucose monitor (CGM), while over half (53%) are interested in wearing a CGM in the next 12 months. 

Oura members aren’t unique in terms of their interest in CGMs. All signs indicate that the devices are poised to become as commonplace as a smartwatch, especially as consumers become increasingly health-focused and seek a data-driven approach. It’s an area that has also seen excitement from investors, with companies such as Ultrahuman, BoydSense, Biolinq, Allez Health all securing capital in the CGM space this year. 

Tom Hale (credit: OURA)

What’s Next for Oura?

And although the Oura ring is currently a standalone product, Hale noted that could soon change following Oura’s acquisition of Veri.

“We see a world where the product experience includes other health data inputs and sensors, such as CGMs, factoring into the data and insights presented within the Oura App,” he said. “The expertise of Veri’s team will help accelerate this vision, strengthening our product and opening up new avenues for metabolic health offerings.”

A significant portion of Veri’s team – including its three founders – are joining Oura’s staff.

Oura’s Upcoming ‘Meals’ Feature

“When most people think about metabolic health, they think of weight loss and diabetes, but, like Oura, we’ve always had a vision centered around helping people understand their health more deeply,” Veri CEO and co-founder Anttoni Aniebonam said, adding that Oura is a “like-minded Finnish brand. “Together, we’ll explore how metabolic awareness can create a more complete picture of your overall health and provide guidance to help Oura Members achieve their personal goals, whatever they may be.”

Oura smart ring members won’t have to wait long to see the impact of the company’s metabolic health push. This fall, Oura plans to roll out Meals, a new feature that assists members in tracking meal timing. Meals will give Oura users a better understanding of the connection between how and when they eat and its influence on important health metrics, such as sleep, stress and recovery. 

Last month, Oura welcomed former Apple executive Miklu Silvanto as its new chief design officer. Silvanto is overseeing software and industrial design teams in his new role, focusing on the member experience. Oura had tapped another Apple executive late last year, onboarding Jason Oberfest as its VP of healthcare. 

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