From Garage to Retail: Why Camino Partners Just Bet $62M on Intake Breathing

NEW YORK, NY – October 29, 2026 – For decades, the nasal strip has been relegated to the cold-and-flu aisle—a utilitarian, skin-toned adhesive band grabbed in desperation by congestion sufferers and chronic snorers. But a quiet revolution is underway in the consumer health sector, repositioning the very act of breathing from a biological given to a highly optimizable performance metric.

At the forefront of this shift is Intake Breathing, a family-founded brand that today announced a $62 million growth investment from Camino Partners. The investment platform, founded by KIND Snacks creator Daniel Lubetzky, is betting that the same playbook used to mainstream whole-food snack bars can transform a niche, magnetic nasal dilator into a ubiquitous daily wellness habit.

This transaction, marking Intake's first significant institutional capital infusion, signals a broader transition in consumer health. It highlights a growing investor appetite for performance-driven preventative wellness products and sets the stage for a highly competitive battle over physical retail shelf space.

The KIND Playbook Applied to Nasal Strips

The transition from a direct-to-consumer (DTC) darling to a mainstream retail powerhouse is a notoriously difficult chasm to cross. Intake Breathing, founded in 2019 by medical device engineer Jim Castillo and led by CEO Alex Hauck, has built a formidable digital moat. The company has experienced triple-digit growth over the past three years, selling over 100 million pairs of breathing tabs since its Kickstarter launch and approaching the $100 million mark in annual sales.

However, the vast majority of consumer purchases in the nasal care category still occur in physical stores. The $62 million injection from Camino Partners is specifically earmarked to fuel Intake's expansion beyond its highly efficient DTC engine and into offline and specialty retail channels.

"Intake started as a solution to a problem in my father-in-law's own garage, and it's become something bigger than we ever imagined — a solution people count on to optimize their breathing so they can sleep better, perform better and get more out of life," said Alex Hauck, CEO and Co-Founder of Intake, in a statement today. "Camino brings something rare: a team that has actually lived the journey of building a company that changes how people think about an entire category. We're not just gaining capital, we're gaining a partner who knows exactly what it takes to help get us there."

The strategy mirrors Lubetzky's approach with KIND. Just as KIND successfully moved health bars out of the dusty supplement aisle and into the mainstream grocery checkout line, Camino Partners aims to reposition Intake's products from the pharmacy section into the broader, more lucrative lifestyle and fitness categories.

Says Camino Partners and KIND Snacks Founder, Daniel Lubetzky, “When we introduced KIND to the market, consumers were just starting to make the connection between whole foods and their health. We see a similar opportunity for Intake Breathing to be at the forefront of a lifestyle shift to breathing through your nose, which is foundational to better sleep, stress management, and overall wellness.”

The High-Performance Breath: Magnets Over Adhesives

The fundamental business differentiator for Intake Breathing lies in its hardware. The product was born out of Castillo's personal frustration with keeping his nasal passages open while racing motocross. Traditional adhesive strips often fail under the duress of sweat and high-intensity movement, and their pulling power is limited by the strength of the glue.

Castillo’s solution replaced traditional adhesive strips with Intake’s reusable magnetic band and disposable adhesive tabs. The tabs are applied to the outside of the nose, and the rigid magnetic band clicks into place, mechanically opening the nasal valve—the narrowest point of the airway. This provides users with an immediate, physical sense of wider airflow that traditional strips struggle to match.

This mechanical advantage has spurred a surge of interest among elite athletes and fitness enthusiasts who view optimal oxygen intake as a legal competitive edge. Intake has quietly amassed a roster of high-profile organic adopters, including Los Angeles Dodgers All-Star pitcher Justin Wrobleski, NASCAR standout Corey Heim, and Olympic Silver Medalist speed skater Viktor Thorup.

The brand has also managed a rare feat in the medical device world: cultural cachet. By adopting an ergonomic, athletic aesthetic, Intake has sidestepped the medical stigma often associated with breathing aids. The brand was even featured on the runway at New York Fashion Week earlier this year to complement utilitarian looks, drawing parallels to how pimple patches were successfully rebranded from embarrassing acne treatments to trendy skincare accessories.

Betting on America's Sleep and Airway Crisis

Behind the sleek marketing and celebrity endorsements lies a massive, underserved public health crisis that represents a staggering total addressable market. According to industry data, an estimated 80% of Americans have some degree of deviated septum. Furthermore, 56% of the population—more than 90 million people—snore, and over 60% report breathing primarily through their mouths.

The physiological consequences of chronic mouth breathing compound over time, contributing to elevated blood pressure, worsened snoring, dry mouth, and lowered cardiovascular endurance. By targeting the estimated 270 million people who stand to benefit from improved nasal airflow, Camino Partners is tapping into a market that extends far beyond professional athletes.

"Intake Breathing's product is exceptional – and its instant efficacy is a powerful form of marketing," said Elle Lanning, President at Camino Partners. "With Intake, we see an opportunity to reposition nasal strips from a drug store offering into an essential part of a healthy daily routine. This vision can only be unlocked with thoughtful staging and careful execution. We're excited to support Alex and his team on that journey."

The investment aligns with broader trends in the wellness industry, where consumers are increasingly focused on longevity and preventative care. As one prominent wellness venture capitalist recently observed, the market is witnessing a fundamental shift from treating acute congestion to optimizing daily breathing for overall well-being, likening the trend to the recent premiumization of oral care. This is further evidenced by the viral rise of "mouth taping"—a controversial trend where consumers tape their mouths shut at night to force nasal breathing. Intake offers a less extreme, mechanically proven alternative to this behavioral shift.

Navigating the Retail Aisle and the Competitive Landscape

While Intake's growth trajectory is impressive, the company is stepping into an intensely competitive and highly capitalized arena. The legacy nasal dilator market is dominated by entrenched players with deep pockets. Earlier this year, Prestige Consumer Healthcare acquired Breathe Right and related brands for a staggering $1.045 billion. With Breathe Right generating approximately $200 million in revenue in 2025 and experiencing 60% year-over-year growth since 2022, the legacy brand is not resting on its laurels.

To justify its $62 million infusion, Intake will need to execute a flawless omnichannel retail strategy. Major retailers like Target currently dedicate significant shelf space to traditional nasal strips and their own private-label equivalents. Intake's challenge will be convincing retail buyers to carve out dedicated space for a premium, magnetic alternative—potentially advocating for placement in the sporting goods or premium wellness aisles rather than competing head-to-head in the crowded cold-and-flu section.

Furthermore, as Intake scales, defending its intellectual property will become a critical business imperative. The company's product is listed as a regulated nasal dilator in the FDA's Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience (MAUDE) database, adding a layer of regulatory compliance to its operations. More pressingly, success breeds imitation. In July 2026, Intake was forced to sue Chinese rival Taniya Trading, alleging infringement of its patent for refill tabs. As the brand expands its physical footprint, managing copycats and protecting its lucrative recurring revenue stream from disposable tabs will require significant legal and operational resources.

Camino Partners' investment in Intake Breathing is more than just a capital injection; it is a calculated bet on the premiumization of basic human functions. If the team can successfully navigate the complexities of offline retail and shift consumer psychology, they may well succeed in turning the simple act of taking a deep breath into the next billion-dollar wellness category.