GoKawiilUltrahuman, a Bengaluru-based health-tech startup known for its smart rings, is attempting to revive its U.S. business after securing approval for its Ring Pro, setting up a renewed battle with Oura, which has strengthened its dominance in the interim.
The latest approval, granted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, comes less than a month after the Ring Pro’s global launch in late February and follows an October ruling by the U.S. International Trade Commission in favor of Oura that effectively curtailed imports of Ultrahuman’s smart rings into the U.S. The restrictions cost Ultrahuman up to $50 million in lost sales as 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 IDC data shared with TechCrunch. The smart ring market has also consolidated rapidly, with Oura expanding its dominance in recent quarters as Ultrahuman’s share fell sharply during the period of import restrictions.
Ultrahuman’s U.S. market share rose from 11.5% in 2024 to 24.6% by Q2 2025, before falling to low single digits by the end of the year as the restrictions took effect, IDC research manager Jitesh Ubrani said. Over the same period, Oura’s share climbed from 63.3% to 85%, capturing most of the ground lost by Ultrahuman.
The U.S. previously accounted for as much as 50% of Ultrahuman’s revenue at its peak, though that share has since declined as the company expanded in Europe and Asia during the period of import restrictions, Kumar told TechCrunch. He downplayed the competitive impact, saying Ultrahuman’s absence gave rivals only a “three-month advantage” and that the company expects to regain lost ground quickly.
Ultrahuman plans to ramp up its U.S. rollout immediately, with Kumar saying it could take five to six months to reach full scale as the company rebuilds its supply chain and distribution.
The Ring Pro’s redesigned unibody metal structure helped the company secure U.S. clearance and will be central to a comeback, with improvements, it says, including longer battery life and enhanced on-device processing.
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