Daniel Lubetzky, the visionary founder of Kind Snacks, has launched a bold new venture aimed at reshaping the future of consumer health and wellness. His newly formed firm, Camino Partners, will invest $350 million over the next five years in early- and growth-stage startups focused on consumer health, food innovation, and longevity. This move comes as Lubetzky shifts from building one of the most recognizable health-snack brands in the world to backing the next generation of consumer-health disruptors.
Lubetzky built Kind into a global brand by challenging the status quo of processed snacking. He introduced transparent ingredient labeling and wholesome products at a time when “healthy” snacks often weren’t truly nutritious. Now, he plans to bring that same disruptive energy to the venture capital world.
Vision Behind Camino Partners
Camino Partners isn’t just another investment vehicle. Lubetzky designed it as a “mission-driven partnership platform”, where entrepreneurs can access capital and also lean on a hands-on support system. He aims to empower founders who solve real human problems — from preventing chronic illnesses to improving nutrition and mental well-being.
“I want to help build the brands and companies that make our lives better — not just more convenient,” Lubetzky said during a recent interview. “Camino Partners will focus on companies that reflect long-term thinking, authentic values, and consumer trust.”
He believes that today’s health challenges — rising chronic diseases, mental health struggles, and a broken food system — demand smarter, purpose-led innovation. Through Camino, he will fund companies that aim to tackle those issues at the root, using science-backed, scalable solutions.
Lubetzky’s Track Record as a Mission-Driven Entrepreneur
Before launching Camino Partners, Lubetzky spent two decades shaping Kind into a model for socially responsible business. He founded the brand in 2004 after noticing a gap in the snack market: there were sugary, processed options, or there were bland, unsatisfying “healthy” ones. He bridged that divide with nut-based, low-sugar bars that quickly earned trust from consumers.
Under his leadership, Kind achieved explosive growth, eventually selling a controlling stake to Mars, Inc. in 2020 at a reported $5 billion valuation. Lubetzky stayed on as chairman and continued influencing the company’s direction until stepping back in 2023.
Alongside his business success, Lubetzky became a vocal advocate for responsible capitalism. He consistently reinvested profits into social impact projects, including the Kind Foundation, which supports empathy education and youth leadership. Now, with Camino Partners, he wants to scale that philosophy into a broader investment thesis.
Strategic Focus: Food, Wellness, Longevity
Camino Partners will focus its investments on three key sectors:
- Consumer Health and Wellness: Startups that offer preventive health tools, nutritional support, mental health services, and holistic care platforms.
- Food and Nutrition Innovation: Companies creating healthier, science-driven alternatives to traditional processed food, using sustainable ingredients and ethical sourcing.
- Longevity and Performance: Emerging tech and biohacking solutions that help consumers live longer, healthier, and more active lives.
Lubetzky sees a major gap in how traditional venture capital funds approach consumer health. Many investors chase short-term wins, prioritize aesthetics over efficacy, and overlook long-term behavior change. He wants Camino Partners to change that narrative by backing brands that build genuine value — both for consumers and for society.
“Consumers are smarter now. They want more than a shiny label. They want solutions that work, products that are rooted in science, and companies they can trust,” Lubetzky emphasized.
First Investments Already Underway
Camino Partners has already started deploying capital into a select group of startups. While Lubetzky hasn’t disclosed all the names yet, he confirmed that the fund has backed:
- A biotech firm using AI to develop personalized nutrition plans.
- A mental health platform focused on early intervention for adolescents.
- A food-tech startup creating plant-based snacks with clean, minimal ingredients.
Each investment reflects Lubetzky’s deep involvement. He doesn’t write checks and walk away. Instead, he joins boards, helps with product strategy, introduces founders to top-tier advisors, and offers branding insights honed from decades in CPG.
“We’re not passive investors. We roll up our sleeves. If I believe in a founder’s mission, I want to be in the trenches with them,” he explained.
Strong Support from High-Profile Partners
Lubetzky isn’t going it alone. Camino Partners includes a network of seasoned operators, health experts, and former executives from top brands. This brain trust offers early-stage founders strategic advice, operational playbooks, and access to robust distribution networks.
Camino also enjoys support from family offices, impact funds, and legacy entrepreneurs who align with its mission-first philosophy. Unlike traditional VCs chasing sky-high exits, these partners believe in measured growth, sustainability, and long-term brand equity.
This alignment gives Camino a unique advantage in the highly competitive world of health and wellness investing.
Why This Matters for the Startup Ecosystem
The launch of Camino Partners marks a critical moment for early-stage consumer-health startups. While the wellness market has exploded — expected to hit $8.5 trillion globally by 2027 — many founders still struggle to raise capital without compromising their values or product integrity.
Lubetzky’s move creates an alternative path. He offers not just funding, but mentorship rooted in empathy, authenticity, and evidence-based decision-making. His presence could inspire a new wave of “conscious entrepreneurs” who prioritize impact without sacrificing scale.
Moreover, Camino’s model challenges the VC world to rethink its priorities. Lubetzky has proven that doing good and doing well don’t need to exist in tension. He built Kind by treating people right — consumers, employees, suppliers — and he generated billions in enterprise value along the way.
Now, he’s giving others the tools to do the same.
Looking Ahead
Lubetzky says he remains personally involved in every deal Camino signs. “I’m not trying to build a massive firm that loses focus,” he said. “I care about quality over quantity. Every founder we work with should feel like we’re in their corner — fully.”
Over the next five years, Camino Partners aims to fund 30 to 50 companies, guiding many of them from seed stage to Series B and beyond. Lubetzky will continue looking for founders who think long-term, operate with integrity, and solve urgent human challenges with bold ideas.
He views this as the next chapter in his own mission — one that began with a snack bar and now scales to entire industries.
“When I started Kind, I just wanted to make healthy food that people could trust,” he said. “Now, I want to help build the future of health itself.”