Evolving for Speed, Focus, and the Next Stage of Growth
I’ve always felt fortunate that Ian and I are one of those founder teams who can work through a lot while maintaining a strong relationship and deep trust. We’ve worked tirelessly to take Breathe from our borrowed lab at Imperial College London to where it is today. Over the past six years, Ian has led Breathe from an ambitious idea to a company with real products on the road and in people’s pockets, making their lives better. His leadership and vision have been instrumental in building our product, our brand, and the trust of our customers.
As we entered a new phase of commercial momentum with our Series B in May 2025, we took the opportunity to rethink how we distribute responsibilities between us to keep Breathe moving forward. Effective today, I’ll be stepping into the role of CEO, and Ian will transition to Chief Product Officer.
Although it’s a big change, it felt natural for us as co-founders. In his new role, Ian will focus on the areas where his impact is greatest: working closely with customers, shaping our product roadmap, and telling our story to the world. His passion for technology, storytelling, and deep customer engagement has always set Breathe apart. With more of his time dedicated there, we’re in a stronger position than ever.
As CEO, my focus will be on creating the conditions that allow our teams to do their best work, aligning product, sales, and marketing to deliver at speed, and building the structure that supports sustainable growth.
Our vision remains the same. This change isn’t about shifting direction; it’s about strengthening how we deliver it. Ian and I remain fully aligned as founders, partners, and friends, and are committed to building a company that helps our customers unlock better battery performance at scale.
We’ve been planning this transition collaboratively for several months to ensure it sets Breathe up for success. With this evolution, we’re ready to move faster, stay closer to our customers, and accelerate our growth journey.
To our customers, partners, and investors - thank you for your continued belief in what we’re building.
Yan Zhao, CEO, Breathe