Ultrahuman bets on redesigned smart ring to win back U.S. market after Oura dispute

TechCrunch · Feb 27, 2026 · Collected from RSS

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Ultrahuman on Friday unveiled a new smart ring with longer battery life and a redesigned form factor, as the Bengaluru-based wearable maker seeks to revive its U.S. business that was disrupted last year by a patent dispute with rival Oura. The Ring Pro, Ultrahuman’s third-generation smart ring, offers up to 15 days of battery life — compared with four to six days on the Ring Air — and is priced at $479. It will be available for pre-orders globally, excluding the U.S., with shipments beginning in March. Ultrahuman’s U.S. business was disrupted in October 2025 after the U.S. International Trade Commission — a federal agency that handles trade disputes — ruled in Oura’s favor in a patent dispute. The ruling prevented the startup from importing new ring inventory into the country, although existing retail stock continued to be sold. The blow was significant. The U.S. accounted for about 45% of Ultrahuman’s roughly 700,000 daily active users worldwide, according to co-founder and CEO Mohit Kumar. In August 2025, Ultrahuman also filed a separate patent infringement case against Oura in the Delhi High Court, where the matter remains pending. Meanwhile, to work around Oura’s patent, Ultrahuman developed the Ring Pro with a new design, Kumar told TechCrunch, adding that the device has been submitted to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection for clearance. U.S. Customs and Border Protection for clearance to confirm it can legally be imported into the country. Despite the U.S. disruption, Ultrahuman is currently operating at an annualized revenue run rate of about $150 million, Kumar said. It reported $64 million in operating revenue in the financial year ended March 2025. The startup remains profitable after tax, although margins are expected to narrow due to litigation costs, tariffs, and the redesign effort, he added. Alongside the new ring, Ultrahuman introduced Jade, a real-time “biointelligence” system that analyzes user health data across its devices and services to generate personalized insights and recommendations. Techcrunch event Boston, MA | June 9, 2026 Kumar said Jade is designed to move beyond retrospective health summaries toward real-time, actionable guidance. Ultrahuman’s Jade AI systemImage Credits:Ultrahuman “Most AI tools today look backward at your data,” he said. “Jade is built to react to your health in real time and surface actions users can take.” Kumar said Jade will be available to all Ultrahuman users, including those using the older Ring Air, and does not currently require a subscription. The Ring Pro features a redesigned heart-rate sensing architecture for improved signal quality during sleep and a new dual-core processor to enhance data accuracy and on-device computing. The device can store up to 250 days of health data and weighs about 5% to 6% more than the Ring Air, launched in July 2023 at $349. Ultrahuman has also introduced a Pro Charger with up to 45 days of battery life to support on-the-go charging and enable faster updates and diagnostics through direct case connectivity. The charger also supports wireless charging via Qi, the same standard used by most modern smartphones. Ultrahuman’s Pro ChargerImage Credits:Ultrahuman Women account for about 68% of Ultrahuman’s user base, up from roughly 65% a year earlier, Kumar said, reflecting strong adoption of the startup’s women’s health features. Ultrahuman also offers subscription-based services across its broader health platform, including a coaching and recovery program called PowerPlugs, the Blood Vision metabolic panel, Ultrahuman Home, and a continuous glucose monitoring offering. Subscriptions contribute about 16% of Ultrahuman’s revenue, while Blood Vision accounts for roughly 5% to 6% of the business, Kumar said. Ultrahuman’s key growth markets include the UK, Canada, Australia, and India, Kumar told TechCrunch, with the latter contributing about 8% to 9% of overall revenue after recent investments in local customer support. Global smart ring shipments grew nearly 80% year-over-year in 2025, driven by demand for compact wearables with advanced sleep tracking and longer battery life, said Anshika Jain, senior analyst at Counterpoint Research. Oura continues to lead with more than two-thirds of the market, while Ultrahuman holds the second position. Jain added that future leaders in the category will be defined by sensor accuracy, AI-driven insights, and seamless ecosystem integration. Separate IDC data showed global smart ring shipments rising about 30% year over year in Q3 2025 to nearly 1 million units, driven in part by demand for screenless fitness trackers, said Navkendar Singh, associate vice president at IDC India. Ultrahuman captured roughly 25% of the market during the period, per IDC. Founded in 2019, Ultrahuman has raised about $55 million to date and counts Alpha Wave Incubation, Blume Ventures, Steadview Capital, and Nexus Venture Partners among its investors. Ultrahuman, Kumar said, is building additional production capacity to support demand for the Ring Pro over the coming months.