Laurent Cordonnier brings more than two decades of strategic financial leadership to Breathe Battery Technologies
- Leader in physics-based battery management software, Breathe Battery Technologies, has appointed Laurent Cordonnier as Chief Financial Officer
- Cordonnier joins from Native Instruments and Deezer, two private equity-backed technology companies, to spearhead a period of rapid expansion at Breathe
- The new CFO will oversee a period of rapid growth for the business, scaling revenue, building the team and leading future investment rounds
- Breathe is addressing a significant gap in battery technology, deploying adaptive charging software to enhance user experiences and support car manufacturers in launching more affordable, performant electric cars
Reporting directly to CEO and co-founder Dr Ian Campbell, and working closely with fellow co-founders Dr Yan Zhao (CTO) and Professor Gregory Offer (Chief Scientist), Cordonnier’s appointment comes at a pivotal time for Breathe as the company positions itself for further expansion and industry leadership. His extensive experience will contribute to the company’s growth trajectory, which can be seen through the announcement of recent partnerships with leading OEMs, including Volvo Cars.
In March, Breathe announced that Volvo Cars will implement the latest version of Breathe Charge adaptive charging software in its new generation of fully electric cars. Breathe Charge will reduce the time it takes to charge an electric Volvo from 10 to 80% state of charge by as much as 30%*, while maintaining the same energy density and range.
As Breathe further scales its customer base, Cordonnier will play a central role in enabling the organisation to continue making batteries better.
Cordonnier has joined Breathe from private-equity-backed technology companies Native Instruments and Deezer where he served as CFO to drive revenue growth, while also leading successful capital raises. His experience at Native Instruments, which blends software, hardware and creativity to create experiences, positions him perfectly to drive similar outcomes for Breathe. Prior to that, Cordonnier was an investor at Access Industries and an investment banking associate at Morgan Stanley. He has two decades of experience in financial leadership and as CFO of Breathe, he is set to play a fundamental role as the company continues its expansion in response to intense demand.
Laurent Cordonnier, Chief Financial Officer, Breathe said: “I am excited and honoured to join the team at Breathe. The company’s commitment to innovation and its potential to significantly impact the automotive and consumer electronics industries is truly extraordinary. I look forward to working closely with the founders Ian, Yan, Greg and the entire team as we embark on the next phase of growth and continue to deliver on our promise of creating remarkable end-user experiences through software-defined batteries.”
Dr Ian Campbell, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Breathe said: “We are delighted that Laurent has chosen to join Breathe as our CFO. This new appointment reflects the growing capability of Breathe to proactively address existing gaps in battery technology. We set out to make batteries better and Laurent’s wealth of experience has found fertile ground here as we expand our production programmes and further invest in technologies.”
Since its inception, Breathe’s focus has been on building battery technology to contribute to a faster, better and more sustainable electrification of the world. It exists to enable world-class OEMs to do more with the power they have, unlocking performance from existing batteries to deliver superior end-user experiences. Unlike traditional methods, Breathe’s adaptive battery charging software dynamically controls the battery in real time with demonstrated benefits in charging and user experiences. This includes delivering longevity and optimal performance gains, while simultaneously supporting battery health and sustainability efforts.
Cordonnier’s appointment also comes off the back of a recent investment from Volvo Cars Tech Fund in March and a $10 million series A led by Lowercarbon Capital, one of the world’s largest climate tech investors, with participation from Speedinvest, who led Breathe’s seed round in 2019.
Cordonnier began his career as an auditor with Arthur Andersen and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Laurent holds a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from San Jose State University and an MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management.
* Different battery packs will result in varying charging times. Testing indicated charge time improvements ranging from 15-30%.
About Breathe Battery Technologies
Breathe Battery Technologies (“Breathe”) is more than a battery performance company. Since being spun out of Imperial College in 2019, Breathe’s focus has been on building battery technology to contribute to a faster, better and more sustainable electrification of the world.
Today, it provides physics-based battery management software that helps the world’s most iconic electric vehicle and consumer electronics brands do more with the power they have. Because an electrified future requires superior customer experiences.
The company’s embedded software products, Breathe Charge and Breathe Life, use adaptive charging to dynamically adjust the charging current across both the state of charge and state health windows, indicating the ideal current at every moment. Its products extract more performance from existing batteries to deliver faster charging, greater cycle life and zero compromise on safety.
Breathe Battery Technologies’ dream is that one day everyone will breathe clean air. That’s why it makes batteries better.
For further information please contact:
Breathe Media Relations
+44 (0)2045 295647
