Smart ring manufacturer Oura has escalated its legal battle with its Indian rival Ultrahuman, filing a new lawsuit in a federal court in Texas that seeks to block U.S. sales of the Bengaluru-based startup’s flagship Ring Pro. The legal action comes just months after a redesign allowed Ultrahuman to successfully return to the American market following a stringent import ban. The case represents the latest chapter in an aggressive legal campaign waged by Oura to protect its intellectual property against a growing field of competing smart-ring manufacturers, a roster that includes industry giants like Samsung as well as specialized startups like RingConn.
In the complaint filed on Thursday in a federal court in Texas, Oura alleges that Ultrahuman’s Ring Pro directly infringes two of its proprietary patents. These patents cover both the distinct design of the ring and its critical internal components, including its advanced battery systems and internal sensors. Through the lawsuit, Oura is pursuing monetary damages alongside a permanent injunction that would completely halt the importation, distribution, and sale of the Ring Pro within the United States.
The renewed conflict follows a hard-fought battle over market access. Ultrahuman’s redesigned Ring Pro was officially launched in February and subsequently received a favorable ruling from U.S. Customs and Border Protection in March. That decision paved the way for the startup’s triumphant return to the lucrative U.S. market after an earlier import ban had sidelined its previous flagship device, the Ring Air. The import ban took effect in August of last year after Oura successfully secured a patent infringement ruling from the U.S. International Trade Commission.
An Oura spokesperson minced no words when addressing the ongoing legal friction, issuing a statement asserting that Ultrahuman has a clear history of appropriating Oura’s innovations, a pattern the company argues was definitively demonstrated by the 2005 and subsequent 2024 ITC rulings against the firm. According to Oura, while Ultrahuman introduced a redesigned ring, it failed to address the underlying and continued infringement of Oura’s patents, opting instead to capitalize directly on Oura’s heavy investments in innovation and the market leadership position it has methodically built over the years.
Oura contends that the recent Customs ruling was narrow in scope, covering only the specific patent involved in the prior dispute, and did not clear the two additional patents cited in this latest federal lawsuit, which are identified as patent numbers D804,471 and 12,769,363. To protect its comprehensive patent portfolio and commercial interests, Oura stated that it was forced to file this fresh complaint of patent infringement.
Notably, one of the asserted patents—patent number 12,769,363—is remarkably fresh. It was officially issued to Oura on October 20, just two days before the company pulled the trigger and filed the lawsuit in Texas. This newly minted patent broadly covers a smart-ring architectural design that incorporates sophisticated internal components, including a curved battery, a specialized circuit board, tiny magnets, and tightly integrated sensors designed to monitor vital physiological metrics.
Expanding the scope of the litigation, Oura has also named Texas-based electronics manufacturer SVTronics as a co-defendant in the lawsuit. According to the court filing, SVTronics manufactures the Ring Pro at a specialized production facility located in Plano, Texas, operating under the direction and control of Ultrahuman. The complaint alleges that both Ultrahuman and SVTronics bear responsibility for infringing Oura’s patents through the collective manufacturing, domestic importation, and active commercial sale of the device across the United States.
Reacting to the legal development, Ultrahuman co-founder and CEO Mohit Kumar expressed absolute confidence in the integrity of the Ring Pro and affirmed that the startup intends to mount a vigorous defense against the new allegations. Kumar pointed out the striking timing of Oura’s legal strategy, noting that Oura has deliberately chosen to assert an entirely different set of patents, including one that was issued just forty-eight hours before the lawsuit was formally lodged.
Kumar emphasized that Ultrahuman will address these legal claims through the appropriate judicial processes and will defend its market position aggressively. He reassured customers and stakeholders that there is currently no court order or injunction affecting the availability of the Ring Pro, meaning the device remains fully available for purchase by consumers in the United States.
The friction between Oura and Ultrahuman is rooted in a multi-year rivalry that dates back to 2023, when Oura initially sued the Indian startup over the Ring Air—the very device that helped Ultrahuman establish its brand recognition and secure a foothold in the American market. Oura’s subsequent legal escalation before the U.S. International Trade Commission ultimately resulted in the crippling import ban on the Ring Air last year, forcing Ultrahuman to rethink its hardware engineering and pivot toward the redesigned Ring Pro.
Ultrahuman, however, is far from the only competitor caught in Oura’s legal crosshairs. Over the past few years, Oura has pursued aggressive patent infringement claims against virtually every major player in the emerging smart-ring sector, including Samsung, RingConn, Circular, and Zepp Health. While some of these high-stakes disputes have devolved into protracted litigation, others have reached diplomatic resolutions. Companies such as RingConn and Circular ultimately opted to settle their disputes by entering into multi-year patent licensing agreements, agreeing to pay ongoing financial royalties to Oura in order to secure the legal right to continue selling their respective biosensing products in the U.S. market.
This wave of legal activity unfolds against the backdrop of a rapidly expanding global market for smart rings and wearable health technology. According to projections from market research firm IDC, global shipments for smart rings are expected to surge by 12.8% this year alone, reaching approximately 4.9 million units, and are on a trajectory to scale up to roughly 6.3 million units by 2030. While Oura continues to maintain its dominant position as a pioneering leader in the category, Ultrahuman has emerged as one of its most ambitious and fiercely contested competitors.
The timing of the lawsuit also intersects with significant corporate developments for Oura. Just weeks prior to filing the complaint, Oura made the strategic decision to shelve its anticipated $2.2 billion initial public offering, pointing to lingering volatility and uncertainty in the broader financial markets. Despite holding off on its public debut, Oura has maintained a relentless pace of product development, rolling out new features and software updates for its users, including advanced fitness metrics designed to help individuals track how daily workouts impact their long-term cardiovascular health.
Meanwhile, Ultrahuman has been securing substantial financial backing to fuel its global expansion and technological ambitions. In September, the startup closed a major $70 million funding round backed by prominent investors including Qualcomm Ventures and Labcorp, bringing the company’s private market valuation to approximately $365 million. As part of its broader growth strategy, Ultrahuman has been collaborating closely with Qualcomm on the development of a next-generation smart ring designed to run advanced software directly on the hardware device, positioning the company to expand well beyond traditional health and fitness tracking into emerging use cases like artificial intelligence interactions and immersive gaming.
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