Our Founders’ Story
A Purpose-Driven Beginning
Inogen’s story began not in a corporate boardroom, but in a college dorm room with three friends and a simple goal: solve a problem that mattered. While home for winter break in 2000, UC Santa Barbara student Ali Bauerlein saw firsthand how oxygen tanks limited her grandmother Mae’s independence and quality of life. That personal experience inspired Bauerlein, along with friends Brenton Taylor and Byron Myers, to imagine a better solution — a portable oxygen system that could give people with respiratory conditions the freedom to live more fully.
Creating a New Standard in Respiratory Care
At the time, portable oxygen concentrators did not exist. The founders took on the challenge of creating a smaller, more mobile alternative to traditional oxygen tanks, overcoming technical and industry barriers along the way. In 2004, Inogen introduced the first Inogen One, giving patients greater freedom and mobility — including Mae, the inspiration behind the company’s mission.
Innovation and Impact
Over 25 years, Inogen has helped more than one million patients experience mobility through innovative respiratory care technology. The company’s success came from the founders’ willingness to challenge expectations, including a bold shift to a direct-to-consumer model during a difficult period that transformed the business.
A Lasting Entrepreneurial Legacy
Bauerlein, Taylor, and Myers grew Inogen from a college idea into a publicly traded medical technology company, creating lasting impact for patients, employees, and the broader healthcare community. While they have since moved on to new ventures, their vision of improving lives through mobility and innovation remains at the heart of Inogen’s mission.
Find your Inogen
Our lightweight, easy-to-use stationary and portable oxygen concentrators help you move about your home—and out and about in the world!
Call (800) 338-1619
