Breathe Battery Technologies (Breathe), a frontrunner in physics-based battery software, has announced a successful $21 million Series B funding round. This investment coincides with the launch of a significantly expanded product portfolio, evolving Breathe from a focused embedded software provider into a comprehensive supplier of battery simulation software, embedded solutions, and vital battery services. This suite now supports the entire battery development lifecycle.
Empowering Battery Development with a New Software Suite
The funding round welcomes new investor Kinnevik AB, alongside continued strong support from Lowercarbon Capital and Volvo Cars Tech Fund. This financial boost will accelerate Breathe’s growth trajectory, enhance its physics-based battery software capabilities, and more than double the capacity of its London laboratory, establishing it as the city’s largest battery testing facility.
Introducing Breathe’s Expanded Product Portfolio
This strategic investment arrives as Breathe introduces three new key products: Breathe Model, Breathe Map, and Breathe Design. These additions form a powerful and comprehensive battery software toolchain designed to empower customers to design, validate, and optimize superior batteries with greater speed and efficiency.
The newly launched products include:
- Breathe Model: Advanced cell simulation software that transcends the limitations of purely empirical testing. It offers high-level simulations grounded in physics-based electrochemical and thermal dynamics, providing developers with unprecedented insights.
- Breathe Map: A performance mapping service meticulously designed to reveal the true capabilities and limitations of a battery under various conditions.
- Breathe Design (coming soon): Innovative cell design software that equips engineers with system-level, contextual knowledge to create battery systems that are more performant and cost-effective.
Complementing Adaptive Charging for Enhanced Performance
These new offerings seamlessly complement Breathe’s existing Breathe Charge adaptive charging software. Notably, Volvo Cars recently announced the integration of Breathe Charge into its upcoming ES90 sedan. This intelligent software dynamically manages charging current by precisely controlling internal electrochemical states. Together, this expanded battery toolchain directly addresses critical industry challenges, including hardware overdesign, unexpected late-stage testing results, and protracted development cycles. By leveraging Breathe’s comprehensive suite, battery developers can accelerate their timelines and make more informed, data-driven decisions.
Dr. Ian Campbell, CEO of Breathe, emphasized the company’s significant evolution: “Breathe has evolved to become a leading company in battery technology, with the funding and infrastructure to match our ambition and deliver a major impact on battery innovation. The industry can no longer afford incremental progress; it needs transformative technology that makes batteries fundamentally better. Our software toolchain improves EV charging for end-users and helps manufacturers cut costs, reduce risk, and accelerate battery system development. This funding allows us to expand our technology capabilities, our team, and our lab so we can push battery performance further.”
Industry Leaders Back Breathe’s Innovative Approach
Sam Marsden, Investment Manager at Kinnevik AB, highlighted the critical role of battery performance in user experience: “Battery performance continues to be a driver of poor user experience and lower adoption within the electric vehicle and consumer electronics markets. As evidenced by the company’s partnerships with the likes of Volvo Cars and Oppo, a growing number of manufacturers are realising that Breathe’s technology is fundamental to not only solving this critical problem but also influencing battery system development earlier to avoid unwanted risks or avoidable performance gaps. Kinnevik is thrilled to be partnering with Ian, Yan, and the rest of the team to continue delivering previously unseen levels of battery innovation, in a seamless way, to a greater number of customers.”
Clea Kolster, Partner at Lowercarbon Capital, reiterated their confidence in Breathe: “We backed Breathe again because this is exactly the kind of boundary-breaking we look for. Breathe proves that software can unlock massive electrification gains without having to wait on a chemistry miracle.”
Ann-Sofie Ekberg CEO, Volvo Cars Tech Fund, underscored the importance of intelligent charging: “Charging isn’t just about being fast or slow anymore; it’s about delivering a consistent experience that makes EV ownership effortless for customers. Breathe’s technology enables us to optimise charging across a wide spectrum of real-world conditions, improving speed and consistency while protecting battery health. Breathe’s software and expertise give us critical insights earlier in the development, allowing us to make more informed decisions, reduce risk, and ultimately create more efficient battery systems.”
Expanded Lab Capabilities and Growing Team
Breathe’s London laboratory has now expanded significantly, from 7,500 sq. ft. to an additional 6,000 sq. ft. This expanded facility boasts over 696 testing channels, including more than 150 automotive channels, and has accumulated over 2 million hours of valuable battery testing data. The company’s team has grown to 75 employees, including a dedicated lab team, and operates under stringent ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 standards for quality and data security.
