Smart ring pioneer Oura has intensified its legal battle against its Bengaluru-based Indian rival, Ultrahuman, filing a fresh federal lawsuit aimed at blocking U.S. sales of the Ring Pro. The legal action comes just months after a redesigned version of the wearable allowed the startup to successfully re-enter the lucrative American market following a damaging import ban. This latest confrontation highlights the increasingly fierce legal and commercial battlegrounds of the rapidly expanding smart-ring industry, where intellectual property rights have become just as critical as hardware design and health-tracking software capabilities.
In a complaint filed on Thursday in a federal court in Texas, Oura alleges that Ultrahuman’s Ring Pro infringes upon two vital patents. These patents cover both the distinct external design of the ring and its complex internal architecture, which includes essential components such as the battery and internal sensors. Seeking to halt further distribution, Oura is asking the court for monetary damages alongside a permanent injunction that would completely bar Ultrahuman from selling the device within the United States.
Ultrahuman’s redesigned Ring Pro was officially launched in February, following months of regulatory and legal friction. In March, the device received a favorable ruling from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, successfully paving the way for the startup’s return to the U.S. market. That crucial decision came on the heels of a stringent import ban targeting Ultrahuman’s earlier flagship device, the Ring Air. The ban took effect after Oura secured a decisive patent infringement ruling from the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) in August of the previous year.
An Oura spokesperson didn’t mince words when addressing the ongoing competitive friction, issuing a statement asserting that Ultrahuman has a clear history of copying innovations. According to the company, the 2025 ITC ruling clearly demonstrated that Ultrahuman had infringed upon foundational intellectual property. Oura contended that while the startup introduced a redesigned ring, it ultimately failed to address the continued infringement of Oura’s underlying patents, opting instead to capitalize directly on the proprietary innovations and market leadership that Oura has spent years establishing.
Legal positioning surrounding the new lawsuit centers heavily on the specific patents being asserted. Oura argues that the previous U.S. Customs ruling exclusively covered the single patent involved in that specific earlier dispute, leaving the two new patents cited in the Texas complaint untouched. In its official court filing, Oura emphasized that to adequately protect its extensive patent rights, it was forced to file this new complaint of patent infringement.
Significantly, one of the targeted patents—designated as patent 12,769,363—is exceptionally new. It was formally issued to Oura on October 20, just two days before the company pulled the trigger on the lawsuit. This newly minted patent broadly covers a smart-ring design incorporating sophisticated internal components such as a curved battery, an intricate circuit board, tiny internal magnets, and specialized sensors.
In addition to targeting Ultrahuman directly, Oura has taken the unusual step of naming Texas-based electronics manufacturer SVTronics as a co-defendant in the lawsuit. According to the legal complaint, SVTronics manufactures the Ring Pro at a specialized facility located in Plano, Texas, operating allegedly under Ultrahuman’s direct direction and control. The lawsuit further alleges that both companies collectively infringe upon Oura’s patents through the active manufacture, importation, and commercial sale of the device in the United States.
Ultrahuman leadership has responded swiftly to the legal challenge. Mohit Kumar, co-founder and CEO of Ultrahuman, expressed complete confidence in the integrity of the Ring Pro and confirmed that the startup intends to fight the new allegations aggressively.
In a statement provided to TechCrunch, Kumar highlighted the timing of Oura’s legal strategy, noting that Oura has now chosen to assert completely different patents, including one that was issued a mere two days before the lawsuit was officially filed. Kumar added that the company will address the claims through the appropriate legal channels and defend its position with vigor. He reassured customers that no court order currently affects the Ring Pro, meaning the device remains fully available for purchase by consumers in the U.S.
The deep-seated rivalry between Oura and Ultrahuman dates back to 2023, when Oura initially sued the Indian startup over the Ring Air, a product that had been instrumental in helping Ultrahuman build its brand recognition and customer base in the United States. Oura subsequently escalated the conflict by bringing a separate case before the U.S. International Trade Commission in 2024, culminating in the favorable ruling and subsequent import ban that temporarily sidelined the Ring Air.
Ultrahuman, however, is far from the only competitor facing intense legal pressure from the Finnish wearable giant. Oura has pursued a broad intellectual property enforcement strategy, filing patent infringement claims against virtually every major competitor in the smart-ring market, including Samsung, RingConn, Circular, and Zepp Health. While some of these high-stakes disputes have erupted into protracted courtroom battles, others have been successfully resolved through formal business agreements. Notably, competitors such as RingConn and Circular ultimately chose to settle by entering into multi-year patent licensing agreements, agreeing to pay ongoing royalties to Oura in order to secure the right to sell their products unhindered in the U.S. market.
These aggressive legal maneuvers are unfolding against the backdrop of a rapidly expanding global market for smart rings. According to data and projections from research firm IDC, global shipments for wearable smart rings are expected to climb 12.8% to reach roughly 4.9 million units, with market projections climbing toward an estimated 6.3 million units annually by 2030. While Oura has long maintained a dominant position as the category leader, Ultrahuman and other agile startups are aggressively vying for market share.
The timing of the lawsuit also coincides with broader corporate movements for Oura. Just weeks prior to initiating the litigation against Ultrahuman, Oura shelved its anticipated $2.2 billion initial public offering, pointing to lingering uncertainty in the broader financial markets. Despite holding off on its public market debut, Oura has continued to push forward with product development, rolling out new software features and advanced fitness metrics designed to help users better track and understand how their daily workouts impact cardiovascular health.
Meanwhile, Ultrahuman has been securing its own financial and strategic footing. In September, the startup successfully closed a $70 million funding round backed by prominent investors including Qualcomm Ventures and Labcorp, bringing the company’s valuation to approximately $365 million. Ultrahuman is also collaborating closely with Qualcomm on the development of a next-generation smart ring. This upcoming device aims to run sophisticated software directly on the hardware itself, signaling Ultrahuman’s broader ambitions to expand past traditional health and fitness tracking into advanced technology categories like artificial intelligence interactions and interactive gaming.
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