Oura, the Finnish manufacturer of smart fitness rings, has announced the acquisition of startup Doublepoint Technologies. The company specializes in hand gesture recognition and voice technologies. The aim of the transaction is to integrate advanced control methods into the next generation of Oura Ring devices, which could enable menu navigation via gestures without touching a phone screen. The deal confirms Oura's strategy of enriching the health data collected by the ring with new user interfaces.
Acquisition of Doublepoint Technologies
Finnish company Oura, a manufacturer of smart rings, has acquired startup Doublepoint Technologies. The transaction aims to incorporate hand gesture and voice recognition technology into the company's future products.
Goal: Gesture Control in Oura Ring 5
The main motive for the acquisition is the development of alternative methods for interacting with the device. Integrating Doublepoint's technology could allow for controlling ring functions via hand gestures, eliminating the need to reach for a smartphone.
Strategy for Expanding Functionality
The purchase fits into Oura's broader strategy of adding new sensors and interfaces to its devices to move beyond basic sleep and activity monitoring, competing with larger players.
Finnish smart health monitoring ring manufacturer Oura has made a strategic acquisition, purchasing startup Doublepoint Technologies, which specializes in hand gesture recognition and voice control technologies. The goal of the transaction, announced on March 5, 2026, is to enrich the next generation of Oura Ring devices – likely the model marked with the number 5 – with advanced interaction methods. Through the integration of Doublepoint's technology, users may in the future control ring functions, such as switching displayed metrics or playing music, using precise finger gestures, without the need for physical interaction with a smartphone screen. Oura gained recognition thanks to its flagship product, the ring, which monitors health parameters such as sleep quality, readiness, physical activity, and body temperature. Interaction with the device has so far occurred mainly through a dedicated mobile app. The acquisition of Doublepoint indicates a strategic evolution towards more direct and intuitive control of the device worn on the finger itself. The startup's technology, originally developed for wearables based on the Wear OS system, among others, is to be adapted to the specific needs of the Oura platform. The smart wearable device market has been dynamically evolving since the 2010s, moving beyond simple pedometers. Currently, smartwatches dominate, having become mini-computers with many functions. Smart rings, such as the Oura Ring or McLear Ring, represent a niche focused on discreet, 24/7 health monitoring with long battery life. A key barrier for these smaller form factors remains the limited interaction surface, forcing manufacturers to seek innovative solutions such as voice or gesture control. The transaction confirms the consolidation trend in the wearables segment, where large manufacturers and leading tech startups acquire smaller companies to gain access to specialized know-how. For Oura, which competes with giants such as Apple, Samsung, or Google (which owns Fitbit), the purchase of Doublepoint is a way to maintain a technological edge and offer unique features. In the longer term, this may allow the company to further differentiate its offering and maintain user loyalty in an increasingly crowded market. Financial details of the acquisition were not disclosed.