Leo: the Plug and Play Battery Life Extender

A quarter of electronic devices end up in the trash simply because their battery wore out — not because the device broke. Lithium-ion wear comes mainly from three habits: charging to 100%, frequent fast charging, and overnight charging — which is exactly how most people charge. Leo from Amsterdam's Liion Power is a small device that sits between your charger and your gadget. It analyzes the battery, then automatically sets an optimal charge limit around 90%, slows charging when you have time, and schedules a break near 80% to cut the hours spent at high voltage. Need a quick top-up? Hold the button to override into full-speed charging. Everything is plug-and-play with zero configuration, and the maker claims up to 50% longer battery lifespan. Launched in September 2023, it drew 2,532 backers and about €230,071 (roughly $245K), around 2,301% funded.