A Toronto-based startup is aiming to make clean water access as simple as shining a light. Xatoms, an AI-powered cleantech company, has secured $3 million in pre-seed funding to advance its solar-activated, infrastructure-free water purification platform. The technology, which uses artificial intelligence and quantum chemistry to discover fast-acting materials, can purify contaminated water in just 30 minutes, using only sunlight or LED light.
The startup’s solution is especially crucial for remote communities, Indigenous regions, and industrial sites where traditional water systems are often too expensive or slow to deploy. By eliminating the need for large-scale infrastructure, Xatoms’ innovation aims to close the water access gap for those who need it most.
From Campus Project to Climate Game-Changer
Founded in 2024 by Diana Virgovicova, Kerem Topal Ismail Oglou, and Shirley Zhong during their university years in Toronto and London, the Xatoms team brings together expertise in chemical engineering, quantum science, and AI. The co-founders, originally from Slovakia and Turkey, launched the company with a shared mission: to harness cutting-edge technology to fight water inequality.
Now serving as CEO, Virgovicova has already garnered global recognition, earning a place on Forbes 30 Under 30 North America 2025. Zhong leads as COO, managing operations and product strategy, while Oglou oversees the company’s quantum modelling systems.
“We started Xatoms with one mission: to use our innovative discovery technology to create materials that can tackle the world’s toughest climate challenges,” said Virgovicova. “This funding will allow us to scale our pilot programmes, grow our technical and manufacturing teams, and partner with more communities and industrial stakeholders ready for sustainable change. This mission is especially urgent in the face of ongoing water crises affecting Indigenous communities across Canada.”
Funding Support from Global Innovation Leaders
The $3 million round includes $2 million in venture capital and $1 million in previously secured non-dilutive grants. Leading the round is Quantacet, a Canadian venture capital firm specialising in quantum technologies.
“Xatoms is tackling a pressing need and is a great example of how quantum science can drive transformational change for humanity,” said Chloe Archambault, partner at Quantacet. “The computational platform they have built represents enormous potential for material discovery for water treatment and beyond.”
Other major investors include Genesis Ventures, one of Europe’s most active VCs. “It’s all about the team, complete and competent in technology and business,” said partner Stergios Anastasiadis. “Water treatment is moving in a new direction with the Xatoms platform, which is based on chemical engineering and quantum science. A lethal combination. A product with global impact made for the betterment of our world.”
Also joining the round is the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC)’s Thrive Lab, which supports women-led, impact-driven companies. “Xatoms is led by impressive founders who have developed a solution powered by AI and quantum chemistry that purifies water in just 30 minutes,” said Sévrine Labelle, Thrive Lab’s managing director. “Their solution is very much needed, especially in Indigenous communities and remote regions.”
Prominent tech angel investors also participated, including Joe Gagliese (co-founder of Viral Nation), Evan Kubes, and Alex Challans (co-founders of Resonance and Quantum Insider).
Scaling Up to Tackle Global Water Challenges
With fresh capital in hand, Xatoms will scale its technical and manufacturing teams, expand pilot programmes, and deepen partnerships with governments, industries, and communities across Canada and beyond. The startup is already in discussions to bring its system to Indigenous territories, underserved regions, and industrial zones grappling with toxic water contamination.
Backed by the 776 Climate Fellowship, an SXSW Innovative World Tech Prise, and Google for Startups’ AI for Nature Accelerator, the company is rapidly building momentum.
Its platform could also unlock new frontiers in sustainable manufacturing and climate tech, where material discovery driven by AI and quantum science holds transformative promise.
A Decentralised Future for Clean Water Access
Xatoms is proving that climate innovation can be fast, portable, and equitable. By removing the need for complex infrastructure and reducing purification time to just half an hour, the company is pioneering a decentralised approach to water access that empowers communities to reclaim control over their resources.
In the words of its founders, Xatoms isn’t just purifying water; it’s helping purify the inequities that have long surrounded access to one of life’s most basic human rights.
