Urtopia co-founder raises millions for AI smart ring to challenge Oura
Li Donghao , former co-founder and chief financial officer of e-bike brand Urtopia, has left to launch AIVELA, a consumer smart-ring startup targeting the global market.
The company raised several million dollars in an angel round in June 2026, led by Linear Capital, with Fengling Capital and Urtopia joining.
Its first product, the AIVELA Ring Pro, has raised $860,000 on Kickstarter. Global crowdfunding has now passed 10,000 units and over 10 million yuan, with a mass-market launch planned for H2 2026.
The smart-ring sector is hitting a capitalisation milestone. On May 21, 2026, market leader Oura confidentially filed for a US IPO.
The Finnish company posted around $1 billion in 2025 revenue and raised $900 million in October 2025 at an $11 billion valuation, led by Fidelity.
Li wants to position AIVELA differently. He calls Oura and rival WHOOP "strict fathers" — harsh and medical, flashing low scores that pile pressure on poor sleepers.
His pitch is a "nurturing mother" approach: an AI agent named ARGO that gently nudges users toward better habits through positive reinforcement rather than red warning scores.
Li admits he underestimated the hardware. He calls the sub-2cm ring a "hell-level" manufacturing challenge, tougher to engineer than Oura's.
Squeezing sensors, a battery, and optical modules into a thin, light, comfortable band took 18 months — far longer than the year he expected. Yield rates remain a hurdle, as curved batteries demand precise laser welding.
The Ring Pro, priced at $200 to $300, adds fingertip optical controls — eight touch commands and six air gestures — to differentiate from pure monitoring rivals. Whether buyers pay a subscription, benchmarked against Oura's $5.99 a month, remains unproven.
Smart rings could become the next breakout wearable after wireless earbuds. Li argues the category is expanding the total market, not fighting over existing users.
Investors agree. Several smart-ring startups have raised funds in 2026, backed by the likes of MiraclePlus and SenseTime's capital arm.
Global smart-ring shipments topped 850,000 units in 2023 and roughly doubled to 1.8 million in 2024. For Chinese players, Oura's higher-cost Eastern European supply chain leaves room to match its quality at scale — if they get the product right.
Read more: Leiphone
Image credit: tomemrich
