Camino Partners Secures $62 Million Investment in Intake Breathing to Revolutionize Wellness and Airway Optimization

Private equity investments in the modern wellness landscape have increasingly pivoted toward categories that merge functional health with lifestyle status symbols. The latest major financial maneuver in this sector comes from Camino Partners, a private equity firm backed by Kind Snacks founder and television personality Daniel Lubetzky. Camino has officially closed a $62 million investment in Intake Breathing, an eight-year-old Southern California-based enterprise specializing in patented nasal dilator systems designed to optimize airflow and respiratory function.

This substantial capital infusion arrives as Intake Breathing approaches a significant commercial milestone, nearing $100 million in annual sales. Since its inception in 2018, the company has successfully distributed more than 100 million pairs of its proprietary breathing tabs via direct-to-consumer channels and Amazon. The partnership with Camino Partners—whose existing portfolio features high-growth lifestyle and wellness brands such as Barry’s fitness studios, Cymbiotika supplements, and Prose hair care—signals a calculated push to scale operations, expand team infrastructure, and aggressively capture market share in big-box retail environments.

The Evolution and Mechanics of Modern Nasal Dilators

To understand the trajectory of Intake Breathing, one must look closely at how the brand differentiates itself from legacy competitors. The nasal dilation category has historically been dominated by products like Breathe Right, a staple launched in 1993 that popularized adhesive external strips sold primarily in drugstores as cold and sinus remedies. Prestige Consumer Healthcare Inc., the parent company of drugstore mainstays such as Clear Eyes, Monistat, and Dramamine, acquired the Breathe Right brand earlier this year, reinforcing the traditional perception of nasal strips as medicinal remedies for nighttime congestion or snoring.

In contrast, Intake Breathing was engineered from its foundation to transcend the traditional pharmacy aisle. The system utilizes a combination of flexible, skin-safe magnetic adhesive strips placed on the outside of the nostrils and a reusable plastic dilator—available in sleek black and clear finishes—that gently clicks into place via magnets. Each $49 starter kit is meticulously packaged with four distinct sizes to guarantee a customized fit, alongside 15 sets of magnetic adhesive strips tailored for daytime performance or nocturnal recovery.

According to leadership data cited during the acquisition, 74% of Intake’s consumer base had never previously purchased legacy nasal dilator products. This statistic underscores a fundamental shift: consumers are not viewing the device merely as a medical treatment for illness, but rather as an active lifestyle tool designed to enhance physical endurance, sleep quality, and daily respiratory efficiency.

The Wellness Status Symbol Strategy

Positioning a medical-grade or functional health device as a desirable consumer accessory requires a delicate balance of cultural integration and aesthetic normalization. Intake Breathing has leaned heavily into fashion partnerships, athletic collaborations, and alternative distribution channels to build this cultural cachet.

In February, the brand made a notable appearance during New York Fashion Week through a collaboration with fashion label Jade/Wade for its Fall-Winter runway presentation. On the athletic front, the company has forged strategic alliances with professional sports figures, including 26-year-old Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Justin Wrobleski. Beyond athletics and fashion, Intake has quietly integrated into clinical and wellness spaces, partnering with physical therapists, massage therapists, dental professionals, and doulas who incorporate the nasal dilator into procedures, therapeutic massages, and childbirth settings.

Alex Hauck, CEO of Intake Breathing, views this adoption curve through a historical lens of cultural acceptance. Drawing parallels to everyday products that once carried social friction, Hauck noted that items like prescription eyewear or acne-treatment patches, such as Starface, ultimately transitioned from stigmatized necessities into mainstream fashion and self-care statements.

"If you are gaining that benefit of easier breathing, you are not going to care so much about what people think, then normalizing it happens through time and through influence," Hauck explained. "People used to call kids with glasses ‘four eyes,’ so it’s not uncommon that over time things eventually find their way to normality."

Elle Lanning, president of Camino Partners, shares this vision of generational adoption. Lanning emphasizes that younger consumers increasingly utilize wearable health accessories and physical enhancements as badges of personal identity and wellness consciousness. Unlike complex health-tracking technologies—such as the Oura Ring, which faces persistent logistical hurdles regarding sizing accuracy and requires extensive pop-up activations—Intake’s straightforward sizing kit mitigates friction points while offering an immediate, tangible physiological benefit.

Retail Expansion and Strategic Deployment of Capital

The newly acquired $62 million funding round will be deployed across several core strategic pillars. A portion of the capital will be used to buy out early friends-and-family investors who supported the enterprise during its formative years. Additionally, the company plans to expand its corporate team from its current headcount of 35 employees, diversify its marketing channels, and execute a calculated transition into major big-box retail storefronts.

Securing shelf space in national retail chains requires alignment with modern merchandising strategies. Lanning noted that traditional retail environments often sort items strictly by category rather than consumer intent or use case. For Camino Partners and Intake Breathing, the ideal retail partners are those who curate their inventory around holistic wellness solutions, recognizing that respiratory optimization intersects with fitness, sleep hygiene, and daily vitality.

Broader Wellness Industry Landscape: Education Gaps and Regulatory Realities

While funding rounds like Camino’s investment in Intake highlight aggressive growth in functional health, broader industry data reveals persistent challenges in consumer awareness and market education. A comprehensive September study surveying 1,002 consumers, conducted by New York City-based digital marketing agency PartnerCentric, illuminated a notable consumer education gap regarding the regulatory framework governing dietary supplements.

According to the findings, 27% of Gen-Z respondents demonstrated a fundamental misunderstanding of the regulatory process, expressing unawareness that dietary supplements can legally enter the commercial market without prior approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In practice, federal regulations do not require dietary supplements to undergo FDA pre-market approval for safety and efficacy. Conversely, the study found that 63% of overall respondents actively check whether a medicine, supplement, or peptide holds FDA approval before making a purchase.

When analyzing the primary drivers of wellness purchasing decisions, the PartnerCentric research underscored the enduring influence of professional and peer validation. Doctor recommendations ranked as the top decision-making factor at 25%, closely followed by consumer reviews at 23%. Financial considerations and clinical study backing trailed as primary purchase intent drivers at 17% and 14%, respectively.

Market Implications and Ongoing Developments

The convergence of private equity capital and lifestyle wellness innovation underscores a broader economic reality: affluent and health-conscious consumers are allocating substantial resources toward optimization, longevity, and preventive self-care. As brands like Intake Breathing successfully decouple functional medical aids from clinical stigma, the boundary between healthcare, athletic enhancement, and everyday fashion continues to blur.

With substantial financial backing from Camino Partners, Intake is well-positioned to navigate its transition from a direct-to-consumer digital brand into a household name found on big-box retail shelves. Whether the nasal dilator will achieve the ubiquitous cultural status of fitness rings and luxury athleisure remains to be seen, but the institutional capital behind the movement ensures that optimized breathing will remain a focal point of the modern wellness economy for years to come.