AM Batteries Names Former Maxwell CEO Dr. Franz Fink Chief Commercial Officer to Lead Dry Battery Electrode (DBE) 2.0 Commercialization

BILLERICA, Mass., Feb. 23, 2026 /CNW/ -- AM Batteries (AMB), a pioneer in low-cost, dry-electrode manufacturing technology, today announced that Dr. Franz Fink has joined the company as Chief Commercial Officer.

In this strategic role, Dr. Fink will lead AMB's commercial efforts to accelerate the industry's adoption of AMB's proprietary Dry Battery Electrode (DBE) technology through the sale of high-performance electrodes and specialized manufacturing equipment.

A Legacy of Innovation and Market Leadership

Dr. Fink is a highly successful executive with a proven track record of leading high-performance teams across the semiconductor and energy storage sectors. He began his career at Motorola Semiconductors and subsequently served as General Manager, CEO, and Board Director at various industry-leading firms.

Most notably, as the former CEO of Maxwell Technologies, Dr. Fink orchestrated a business turnaround by focusing on breakthrough DBE technology-what the industry now recognizes as DBE 1.0- which led to the company's landmark acquisition by Tesla in 2019. His extensive background also includes serving as CEO of Battrion AG and holding independent board seats at Blackstone Technologies GmbH and Immersion Corp.

The Shift to DBE 2.0: A First-Principles Approach to Sustainable Battery Manufacturing

The battery industry is at a historic tipping point. The shift from "wet" to "dry" manufacturing is no longer a theoretical preference but a competitive necessity.

Tesla successfully brought "DBE 1.0" to the mass market by taking ultracapacitor electrode manufacturing technology developed at Maxwell Technologies and adapting it for use in batteries. While they proved dry electrodes can scale, a fundamentally optimized process purpose-built for batteries remains tantalizingly unestablished. 

AM Batteries is scaling the next generation: DBE 2.0. Like Tesla, AMB removes the toxic and expensive solvent from the electrode manufacturing process. Unlike Tesla, AMB's DBE 2.0 Powder-to-Electrode™ technology was purpose-built for batteries and directly deposits active material powders onto the current collector films.

This bottom-up dry electrode manufacturing solution, driven by first principles, delivers a process that is less complex, lower cost and higher performance. Beyond near-term gains, DBE 2.0 also unlocks advanced electrode architectures that enhance performance of today's battery chemistries while enabling the transition to tomorrow's solid-state batteries.

Strategic Validation of Commercial Breakthrough

The appointment of Dr. Fink--an executive uniquely positioned to understand both the limitations of early dry coating and the potential of next-generation approaches--is a powerful signal of AMB's commercial readiness.

"Dr. Fink's decision to lead our commercial strategy as Chief Commercial Officer is a testament to the fact that AMB is on the verge of a major commercial breakthrough," said Lie Shi, CEO of AM Batteries. "His intimate knowledge of the evolution of DBE--from its beginnings at Maxwell to the current industry-wide push--makes him the ideal leader to help our partners transition to a more sustainable manufacturing future."

"Tesla has proven that the wet-to-dry transformation is inevitable," said Dr. Franz Fink. "I joined AM Batteries because their DBE 2.0 approach solves the scaling challenges that have previously hindered the industry. We are ready to provide the equipment and high-performance electrodes the market needs to make the next leap in battery production."

Partner Engagement
AM Batteries welcomes engagement from OEMs and battery manufacturers interested in adopting DBE2.0.

For commercial inquiries, please contact Chris Mohajer, Business Development Director, at [email protected].
For more information, please visit www.am-batteries.com.

About AM Batteries

AM Batteries (AMB) focuses on dry-electrode manufacturing for lithium-ion batteries. Compared to the conventional wet-coating process, AMB's dry-coating technology dramatically reduces energy consumption and the manufacturing footprint of battery plants, while improving electrode performance and lowering costs. AMB is headquartered in Billerica, MA.

SOURCE AM Batteries

Chris Mohajer, Business Development Director, at [email protected].