Oura files new patent lawsuit against Ultrahuman, putting the rival's US smart ring return at risk

Smart ring maker Oura has filed a fresh patent lawsuit against Indian competitor Ultrahuman, asking a court to stop U.S. sales of the Ring Pro. The device had only recently allowed the Bengaluru-based startup to return to the American market after an import ban on its earlier product.

The complaint was filed Thursday in a federal court in Texas. Oura alleges that the Ring Pro infringes two of its patents, which cover the ring's design and its internal components, including the battery and sensors. The company wants monetary damages as well as a permanent injunction barring Ultrahuman from selling the ring.

Ultrahuman launched the redesigned Ring Pro in February and received a favorable ruling from U.S. Customs and Border Protection in March, clearing its path back into the U.S. That came after the International Trade Commission sided with Oura in a patent case in August 2025, a decision that led to the ban on Ultrahuman's earlier Ring Air.

Oura contends the Customs decision addressed only the patent at issue in the earlier dispute, and not the two now cited: D804,471 and 12,769,363. "To protect its patent rights, Oura is now forced to file this complaint of patent infringement," the company said in its filing. An Oura spokesperson told TechCrunch that Ultrahuman "has a history of copying Oura's innovations" and introduced a redesigned ring without addressing continued infringement.

The second patent, 12,769,363, is brand new. It was issued to Oura on October 20, two days before the lawsuit was filed, and describes a smart ring design with internal parts such as a curved battery, circuit board, magnets and sensors.

Oura also named Texas-based electronics maker SVTronics as a defendant. According to the complaint, SVTronics builds the Ring Pro at a facility in Plano, Texas, allegedly under Ultrahuman's direction and control. The filing claims both companies infringe through the manufacture, importation and sale of the device in the U.S.

Ultrahuman co-founder and CEO Mohit Kumar said the company is confident in the Ring Pro and will contest the claims. He noted that Oura has "chosen to assert different patents, including one that issued just two days before this lawsuit was filed." He added that no court order affects the Ring Pro, which remains available to U.S. customers.

The two companies have been in conflict since 2023, when Oura sued over the Ring Air, the product that helped Ultrahuman build its profile in the U.S. A separate 2024 case before the International Trade Commission led to last year's ruling. Oura has also pursued claims against Samsung, RingConn, Circular and Zepp Health. Some of those disputes ended in licensing deals, with RingConn and Circular agreeing to pay royalties to keep selling their products.

The fight comes as the market expands. IDC expects global smart ring shipments to grow 12.8% this year to 4.9 million units and reach about 6.3 million by 2030. The lawsuit also follows Oura's decision, a few weeks ago, to shelve its $2.2 billion IPO, citing market "uncertainty." Earlier this week, the company added new fitness metrics showing how workouts affect cardiovascular health.

Ultrahuman raised $70 million in September from investors including Qualcomm Ventures and Labcorp, at a valuation of about $365 million. It is working with Qualcomm on a new ring that could run more software on the device itself, as it looks to move beyond health tracking into areas such as AI interactions and gaming.