Ultrahuman ramps up the US pressure with Ring Pro as Oura tightens its grip

Ultrahuman, a Bengaluru-based health-tech startup known for its smart rings, is trying to revive its business in the US after getting approval for its Ring Pro, renewing its battle with Oura, which has strengthened its dominance in the meantime.

The latest approval, granted by US Customs and Border Protection, comes less than a month after the global launch of the Ring Pro in late February and follows an October ruling by the US International Trade Commission in favor of Oura, which effectively restricted imports of Ultrahuman’s smart rings into the US. The restrictions cost Ultrahuman up to $50 million in lost sales because it was temporarily unable to import its existing Ring Air model, CEO Mohit Kumar said in an interview.

The U.S. remains the most critical market for smart rings, accounting for about 2.6 million units sold in 2025 — roughly 60% of the global total of 4.4 million units — and growing 59% year over year, according to data IDC shared with TechCrunch. The smart ring market is also consolidating rapidly, with Oura extending its dominance in recent quarters as Ultrahuman’s share plummeted during the period of import restrictions.

Ultrahuman’s U.S. market share rose from 11.5 percent in 2024 to 24.6 percent by the second quarter of 2025, before falling to low single digits by the end of the year when the restrictions took effect, IDC research manager Jitesh Ubrani said. During the same period, Oura’s share rose from 63.3% to 85%, capturing most of the ground lost to Ultrahuman.

The U.S. previously accounted for up to 50 percent of Ultrahuman’s revenue at its peak, though that share has since declined as the company expanded into Europe and Asia during the period of import restrictions, Kumar told TechCrunch. He downplayed the competitive impact, saying Ultrahuman’s absence only gave rivals a « three-month head start » and that the company expected to quickly regain lost ground.

Ultrahuman plans to ramp up its U.S. distribution immediately, with Kumar saying it could take five to six months to reach full scale while the company rebuilds its supply and distribution chain.

The Ring Pro’s redesigned all-metal structure helped the company secure US clearance and will be central to the comeback, with improvements it says include longer battery life and improved device handling.

Ultrahuman has opened US pre-orders for the Ring Pro, with shipping starting on May 15, according to the company. The device starts at $399, with early pre-orders at $349 for the first 1,000 customers.

Kumar said the Ring Pro was already in development as part of a broader product upgrade, but also helped deal with the patent dispute. « We believe that the Ring Air is a non-infringing design and we are fighting this in federal court in the US, » he said, adding that the new design is intended to resolve the issue more definitively.

India is emerging as the next battleground

While Ultrahuman plans to ramp up its efforts in the US, rival Oura entered Ultrahuman’s home market of India last week with the launch of its Ring 4, setting the stage for a wider rivalry in key markets.

Kumar was bullish on the competition, saying Ultrahuman remains focused on long-term growth in India even as new players enter the market. He added that increased competition could help expand awareness in what remains a nascent category in the country.

Smart ring shipments in India are down 30.6% year-on-year in 2025, though Ultrahuman leads the market with 30.4% share, followed by Gabit at 18.3%, according to a recent IDC report. Average selling prices fell 8.7% to $160, highlighting both increasing competition and pricing pressures.

IDC expects the smart ring market to continue to grow at a double-digit rate in the US and globally, although growth in India is likely to remain more muted, Ubrani told TechCrunch. Oura’s international brand recognition could help it gain traction in the country, where the first domestic competitors have already disappeared, leaving room for the entry of established global players, he added. Many early entrants in India largely focused on repackaged hardware with limited differentiation and have scaled back their efforts since then.

The U.S. accounts for about 45 percent of Ultrahuman’s roughly 700,000 daily active users worldwide, Kumar said, emphasizing its importance to the company. The US user base also skews more female, with women accounting for about 73-74% of users there, compared to roughly 68% globally, up from about 65% a year earlier.

Kumar also hinted at plans beyond smart rings, saying Ultrahuman is working on a new wearable device focused on a different biomarker as the company looks to expand its product portfolio. The Ultrahuman currently tracks a range of biomarkers including heart rate, heart rate variability, skin temperature, sleep stages, movement and blood oxygen levels.