Ouster Inc (NYSE: OUST) is a lidar sensor technology company that designs, manufactures, and sells digital lidar sensors and perception software for automotive, industrial, robotics, and smart infrastructure applications. Revenue comes from transactional sales of hardware sensors alongside software platform offerings including Ouster Gemini and BlueCity. Ouster was formed through a February 2023 merger with Velodyne Lidar, Inc. and acquired Sense Photonics in October 2021. On February 4, 2026, Ouster acquired Stereolabs SAS, adding AI camera vision and perception capabilities to its portfolio. The company is headquartered in San Francisco, California, with manufacturing operations there and in Thailand through partners Benchmark and Fabrinet. For the year ended December 31, 2025, Ouster reported a net loss of $60.4 million and used $40.0 million in cash from operating activities, reflecting an unprofitable cost structure with stock-based compensation of $40.8 million as the largest non-cash charge.

Revenue model

Ouster generates revenue through unit sales of digital lidar sensors, including the OS scanning sensor product line and Velodyne scanning sensors, along with software platform licensing for Ouster Gemini and BlueCity perception platforms. Revenue is transactional, tied to hardware shipments and software deployments rather than a recurring subscription model, though the Gemini platform includes edge hardware, software, and cloud analytics components.

Products and services

Ouster offers the OS product line (introduced in 2018, available in four models), Velodyne scanning sensors, and the DF solid-state flash lidar sensor series targeting automotive ADAS and non-ADAS markets. Software platforms include Ouster Gemini, a perception platform for smart infrastructure covering security, yard management, and crowd analytics, and BlueCity for intelligent transportation systems. Following the February 4, 2026 acquisition of Stereolabs SAS, the portfolio expanded to include AI camera vision and perception solutions, sensor fusion, and AI models.

Customers and end markets

Ouster targets four end markets globally: automotive, industrial, robotics, and smart infrastructure (per the FY2025 10-K). Customers include system integrators and end users deploying lidar for automated vehicles, ADAS, factory automation, mobile robots, security monitoring, yard management, and traffic analytics.

Value-chain role

Ouster occupies the sensor and perception stack position in the autonomous and intelligent systems value chain. It designs custom semiconductor components, including receiver SoCs and VCSEL laser arrays, manufactures sensors at its San Francisco facility and through contract manufacturers Benchmark and Fabrinet in Thailand, and delivers application software layers via Gemini and BlueCity platforms directly to end customers and system integrators.

Geographic exposure

Ouster has business development, customer support, and marketing teams in offices worldwide. Manufacturing is split between San Francisco, California and Thailand. The 10-K filed 2026-03-02 does not provide a specific revenue breakdown by geography.

Source: SEC 10-K, filed 2026-03-02

Industry: General Industrial Machinery & Equipment, NEC Peers: AEye Inc Cepton, Inc. Daktronics Inc Darkpulse Inc Evolv Technologies Holdings Inc Velodyne Lidar, Inc. Identiv Inc ITERIS, INC. Keysight Technologies Inc LUNA INNOVATIONS INC