Sqwod Daily / Thursday, 29 October 2026
Sqwod Daily · Weekday
Intake Breathing raises $62M for nasal dilator, Garmin fitness revenue hits $694M & Ozwell triples recovery usage
Intake Breathing closes a $62M round for its magnetic nasal dilator, while Garmin posts record fitness revenue and an Indiana club triples recovery service usage.
Connect the dots
Intake Breathing lands $62M to push magnetic nasal dilator into retail
Jim Castillo, a medical device engineer, invented a reusable magnetic band and adhesive tab system that mechanically opens the nasal valve to improve airflow. His son-in-law Alex Hauck runs the company as CEO. Camino Partners, the investment firm founded by Kind Snacks creator Daniel Lubetzky, has put $62 million into Intake Breathing, marking the brand's first significant outside capital. The funding will take the family-run business into mainstream retail.
For coaches and studio owners building recovery or sleep programming, the raise signals that breathing and recovery products are attracting serious consumer brand investment. As Intake moves into retail, members will encounter the brand outside the gym, which gives coaches an opening to address nasal breathing and airflow as part of their recovery conversations.
In today's episode
- 01 Signal
$62M Backs Intake Breathing's Magnetic Nasal Strip Expansion
Intake Breathing has raised $62 million from Camino Partners, the investment firm founded by Kind Snacks creator Daniel Lubetzky, to grow its magnetic nasal dilator brand into mainstream retail. Intake, founded by medical device engineer Jim Castillo and run by CEO Alex Hauck, makes a reusable magnetic band and adhesive tab system that mechanically opens the nasal valve to improve airflow, unlike traditional adhesive strips. The raise signals that sleep, recovery and breathing performance products are attracting serious consumer brand investment, a category relevant to studios and coaches building recovery or sleep programming.
- 02 Gear
Garmin fitness revenue rises 16% to $694m in Q3 2026
Garmin reported third-quarter fitness segment revenue of $694 million, up 16% year over year, for the quarter ended September 26, 2026, with operating income of $231 million and a 33% operating margin. In July, the company launched the Cirqa Smart Band, a screenless wearable priced at $199.99 with no subscription fee, targeting the same recovery and wellness tracking market as Whoop. For studio and gym operators evaluating wearable partnerships or member-facing technology, Garmin's subscription-free model is a direct contrast to Whoop's paid membership structure and may influence member purchasing decisions.
- 03 Move
Ozwell Fitness tripled recovery service usage after consolidating wellness under one roof
Gemi Ozdemir opened Ozwell Fitness in Carmel, Indiana, combining red light therapy, personal training, sauna and other recovery services in a single facility, using Neo Science wellness technology. The club attracted thousands of new members and tripled usage rates for some recovery services, with Ozdemir reporting strong retention. For operators, the results suggest that bundling recovery and training in one location can drive both engagement and member loyalty.
- 04 Build
Lawler and Diaper: value, innovation and human connection drive operator success
Total Fitness CEO Sophie Lawler and Fitness First CEO Marc Diaper told the HCM Summit that delivering value, investing in innovation and protecting human connection are central to fitness operators' success. The two chief executives spoke at the event, according to Health Club Management.
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