Breathe Battery Technologies has announced a series of strategic leadership appointments to support its ambitions for commercial expansion and continued technical innovation. Founded in 2019, Breathe is the world leader in performance battery development, providing companies with end-to-end visibility into battery performance from early design to lifetime use. Its physics-based software cuts validation cycles and increases energy and power density, enabling faster, safer, higher-performing batteries across electric mobility and consumer devices.
The appointments come at a pivotal moment for Breathe. Demand for its battery software portfolio is growing across multiple sectors. Adoption of its adaptive charging technology continues to expand. At the same time, interest in Breathe’s simulation and model-based design tools is increasing as OEMs seek earlier, more reliable decision-making in battery development. Recent collaborations with Volvo Cars, OPPO and Bang & Olufsen reflect this momentum across automotive, consumer electronics and other battery-led industries. Strengthening the leadership team positions Breathe to meet this demand and scale its technology with confidence.
In a move that reflects the natural maturation of the business, Breathe has announced an evolution in its founding leadership structure. Dr Yan Zhao, co-founder and CTO is stepping into the role of CEO whilst Dr Ian Campbell, co-founder and current CEO, is transitioning to CPO, where he will focus on product strategy, customer experience, and ensuring Breathe’s solutions deliver maximum value to partners.
Chris Link has joined Breathe as VP of Revenue. Chris will be responsible for architecting and executing Breathe’s revenue strategy, scaling go-to-market operations and accelerating customer growth across the company’s key verticals. His appointment underscores Breathe’s transition from a technology innovator to a commercially focused scale-up ready to dominate the adaptive battery charging market. Chris brings over 25 years of experience leading teams from product idea to profitable revenue at companies including TI, Freescale, NXP and Wolfspeed, and holds an MSc in Electrical Engineering alongside his work as a coach.
Rounding out the new appointments, Tina Berthelsen joins as Head of Marketing. A multilingual marketing leader with over 15 years’ experience in high-tech industries, Tina brings a proven track record of building demand generation engines and executing go-to-market strategies that drive measurable growth. She joins from senior marketing leadership roles at Pendo.io, where she served as VP EMEA Marketing, and Silverfin, where she was VP Marketing.
Dr Yan Zhao, CEO, said: “This is an incredibly exciting moment for Breathe. We’re no longer just a technology company with a great adaptive charging product, we’re building a battery design automation business that will fundamentally change how the world thinks about battery performance. The team we’re assembling represents world-class talent across technology, commercial execution, and marketing. I’m confident that with our new set up we’re positioned to accelerate our growth trajectory and deliver on our mission of making batteries better for everyone.”
Chris Link, VP of Revenue at Breathe said: “What drew me to Breathe was the rare combination of genuinely breakthrough technology and a massive addressable market that’s only just beginning to understand what’s possible. Breathe’s adaptive charging software doesn’t just incrementally improve battery performance, it transforms it. We’re talking about significantly faster charging with no trade-offs, extended battery life, and a better user experience across everything from luxury earbuds to electric vehicles. The partnerships with brands like Volvo, OPPO and Bang & Olufsen validate what I already believed; this technology will become the standard. I’m thrilled to be joining Breathe at this exciting time and look forward to helping to write the next chapter of our growth story.”
These leadership announcements come on the back of a period of growth for Breathe. Last year, the company announced a groundbreaking partnership with Volvo Cars, integrating its Breathe Charge software into Volvo’s new generation of electric vehicles and delivering 30% faster charging times while maintaining energy density and range, without compromising battery health.
In March 2024, Breathe expanded into new offices in Oval and doubled its laboratory capacity, reinforcing its position as home to the largest battery lab in London. Most recently, in September this year, Breathe announced a partnership with Bang & Olufsen, with the luxury audio brand’s new Beo Grace earbuds featuring Breathe’s adaptive charging software.
As Breathe scales its operations with this strengthened leadership team, the company remains laser-focused on its founding mission: contributing to a cleaner future by improving battery technology. With world-class talent now in place and proven technology transforming multiple industries, Breathe is poised to accelerate its impact.
