René Graichen has been appointed as the new CEO of energy technology company Avant Power Oy, effective 16 November 2026. Current CEO Jani Käkelä will continue as Chair of the Board.
As Avant Power expands its operations and increasingly develops new products for the energy sector, the company is making changes to its leadership.
When the company was founded around five years ago, battery design was just getting underway and the team was small. At that stage, it was natural for Jani Käkelä, CEO of Avant Tecno Oy, to also serve as CEO of Avant Power.
Since then, production has been launched, and Avant Power now has several development projects underway. As the company’s operations expand, Avant Power has decided to recruit a dedicated CEO who can focus exclusively on the company.
An experienced energy and technology industry leader to guide Avant Power into its next phase
René Graichen will take over as CEO on 16 November 2026. Graichen previously served as Chief Operating Officer at Plugit Oy, a provider of electric vehicle charging services whose business relies heavily on energy storage and energy use optimisation.
Jani Käkelä will step down as CEO but will continue as Chair of Avant Power’s Board of Directors.
“I believe René can guide Avant Power into its next phase, and I am delighted that we have recruited someone with strong expertise in the energy sector. Avant Power is now at an exciting stage. Many of our development projects are either already in production or will enter production over the next eighteen months, so this is an excellent time to bring in an experienced leader to take Avant Power’s operations to the next level and support the commercialisation of our development projects,” says Jani Käkelä.
“Energy will be the defining theme of the next decade, and Avant Power is exceptionally well positioned to meet emerging requirements with its new products, including immersion-cooled batteries, a microgrid concept and energy management software. I am truly excited to join this journey and work with the Avant Power team to support the growth ambitions of the entire Group. My background in the energy sector has given me a strong understanding of the industry, and I believe it will help open up new growth opportunities for Avant Power,” says René Graichen.
Further information and interviews:
Jani Käkelä, Avant Power
+358 44 520 7807
jani.kakela@avanttecno.com
Mikko Piepponen, Avant Power
+358 50 338 5888
mikko.piepponen@avanttecno.com
