A significant investment is being made in nasal breathing, with Intake Breathing, a direct-to-consumer brand, securing $62 million in funding from Camino Partners, a firm established by Daniel Lubetzky, the founder of Kind Snacks. This substantial investment will enable the company to expand its retail presence and enhance its internal operations, ultimately aiming to revitalize the stagnant nasal strip market by catering to a broader audience interested in health and longevity.
The growing importance of nasal wellness
The increasing popularity of products like Intake Breathing demonstrates that consumer wellness is extending beyond traditional areas like supplements and skin care, and is now influencing daily habits such as breathing. Other brands, including Hostage Tape and ZzzTape, have emerged in recent years to capitalize on the trend of mouth taping. As companies continue to reposition functional products as essential lifestyle items, optimizing airflow and sleep quality are becoming key focus areas within the wellness industry.
According to Alex Hauck, co-founder and CEO of Intake Breathing, the company has experienced remarkable growth, with sales of over 100 million pairs of breathing tabs since its launch in 2023. Currently, the brand’s products are available on its website and Amazon. The investment from Camino Partners will enable the company to take its operations to new heights. Hauck stated that a significant portion of the funding will be allocated towards expanding the internal team and supporting the brand’s retail expansion efforts.
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Hauck explained that the company is seeking to bring in expertise from individuals who have successfully overseen similar expansions. “We want to bring in experience from someone who’s been able to oversee that,” he said. “That’s not only from a marketing perspective, but also understanding product unification, SKU management and having our operations dialed in and ready for the size orders that come with retail.” Intake Breathing is at the forefront of the emerging trend of breathing as a wellness practice, recognizing the significant impact it can have on daily routines, including sleep quality and workout performance.
Hauck noted that the company’s consumers are reporting improved daily activities and sleep patterns due to optimized breathing. The brand’s patented nasal dilator kit features two independent nasal strips and a magnetic relief band, which work together to open the nasal passages to their fullest capacity. Hauck highlighted the sweatproof nasal strip’s ability to remain in place throughout the night as a key benefit. “They’re just able to get more out of life because they are getting a better rest,” Hauck said. “Given its effectiveness, people are able to adopt it into their life in a meaningful way.”
Intake Breathing’s minimalist design has also contributed to the company’s ability to expand its marketing reach beyond its initial audience of athletes. “About 90% of our ads are just us putting the product on people who are out and about,” Hauck said. “That is stirring a lot of curiosity.” The brand’s ergonomic and athletic design has also facilitated adoption, similar to the way young people have adopted wearing pimple patches in public. Intake Breathing’s nose strips were featured on the runway at New York Fashion Week earlier this year, showcasing the brand’s ability to blend functionality with fashion.
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From athletic performance to mainstream appeal
Elle Lanning, president of Camino Partners, stated that the firm aims to support Intake Breathing in forming strategic retail partnerships and expanding the category beyond the traditional cold and flu section. This investment follows the acquisition of Breathe Right, a leading nasal strip brand, by Prestige Consumer Healthcare for $1 billion. Lanning drew parallels between this strategy and Kind Snacks’ efforts to reposition the health bar as a food item. “When we looked at it in the data, 74% of Intake consumers have not been legacy category consumers,” Lanning said. “And that solidified it [the investment] for us.”
Optimizing daily habits for longevity
Rachel Hirsch, founder and managing partner of Wellness Growth Ventures, noted that the growing interest in nasal wellness is a natural extension of the broader wellness trend. Hirsch likened the appeal of brands like Intake Breathing to the way products like shower heads and air humidifiers have been reimagined as beauty products. She sees parallels between nasal wellness and the evolution of the oral care category, with both being positioned as essential components of a longevity-focused routine. “To me it is not just vanity,” Hirsch said. “The air you breathe is a big part of a wellness routine and impacts the rest of your health.”
