Canadian water purification startup Xatoms makes a splash at World Economic Forum

At the World Economic Forum (WEF) last week, all eyes were on Canada as Mark Carney made what some dubbed “the most important foreign policy speech in years.” But the prime minister wasn’t the only Canadian making waves in Davos.

UpLink is the World Economic Forum’s early-stage innovation accelerator that helps impact-focused entrepreneurs scale through access to partnerships, resources, and capital.

Diana Virgovicova, founder and CEO of Toronto-based Xatoms, represented Canada at the WEF as a delegate of UpLink Ventures. In a LinkedIn post, she described speaking at the event and demonstrating her startup’s work on a global stage. UpLink is the World Economic Forum’s early-stage innovation accelerator that helps impact-focused entrepreneurs scale through access to partnerships, resources, and capital.

Xatoms uses quantum chemistry and AI to identify photocatalysts, or substances that react with light, to purify contaminated water.

The innovation landed Xatoms a win with UpLink’s Water Resilience Challenge, securing a $308,000 CAD grant alongside nine other global startups. According to HCL Tech, which funds a $1.75-million Swiss franc ($3.1 million CAD) prize pot through its Aquapreneur Innovation Initiative, Xatoms made the top ten from amongst more than 300 submissions.

Virgovicova said in the post that she presented Xatos at the WEF and “gained incredible exposure” alongside other global leaders. In another post, she described meeting the CEOs of Ecolab, PepsiCo, Gap, and Reckitt.

In addition to funding, the winners gain access to resources, mentorship, and global networks provided by HCL Group and UpLink, as well as opportunities to participate in events and initiatives led by the WEF.

Last June, Xatoms raised $3 million in pre-seed funding to help commercialize its technology for industries and consumers. Virgovicova and Xatoms are no strangers to awards and recognition, even on the world stage. Xatoms has taken top prizes at Startupfest and South by Southwest, earned Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian’s 776 Fellowship grant, and connected with top levels of international humanitarian efforts for clean water, including actor and Water.org co-founder Matt Damon.

Feature image courtesy Diana Virgovicova on LinkedIn.