Steven Yang left his job as a software engineer writing algorithms at Google in 2011 to solve what he saw as a product gap: the lack of inexpensive, high-quality laptop batteries and chargers. A decade later, the company he started — Anker — has become a multibillion-dollar business.

The big picture: Though many people recognize Anker as a significant name in the world of charging cords and battery packs, few realize just how large a company Yang has created.

Driving the news: Anker now makes a wide range of electronics from headphones to projectors, bringing in about $2 billion in revenue last year and paying the salaries of roughly 3,000 people.

Anker has been working toward a modest but worthy goal since 2018, Yang says: He wants to replace the tangle of cords in your home with a fast-charging hub in each room.

But Anker can make a hub or power bank that can charge that portable razor, along with a smartphone and many other types of devices, in just minutes.

All this might not completely change your life, Yang says, but "we hope it will actually make the world a better place and make your home a little bit neater."

Catch up quick: In just a decade, Anker has gone from a little-known option on Amazon to a brand sought after by consumers for its range and quality as much as for its price. The company started with laptop chargers and batteries, but Yang said he quickly saw consumers' more pressing needs were with their smartphones and shifted his focus to cell phone battery banks and charging cords.

Between the lines: Anker has been buoyed by a number of trends, most notably Apple's decision to stop including chargers with the iPhone in 2020.

Faster charging has been a big focus of the battery industry since the total capacity of batteries isn't growing very fast.

Yes, but: Anker struggles not only with the limits of battery physics but also with the crosswinds of geopolitics.

What's next: Anker is staying in the accessories space, but keeps expanding into new areas — most recently, 3D printers.