As a teenager in Slovakia, Diana Virgovicova began exploring how chemistry could help clean polluted water. Today she is building a company seeking to turn that scientific ambition into practical technology.
Diana Virgovicova is the founder and CEO of Xatoms, a Canadian water-technology company using artificial intelligence and quantum chemistry methods to identify and develop materials for water purification. In 2026, she received the Global Citizen Prize: Cisco Youth Leadership Award for her work.
A scientific question that became a mission
Global Citizen reports that Diana made an early discovery at 17, designing a molecule capable of helping purify contaminated water through photocatalysis, a process in which light activates materials that can break down certain pollutants.
Originally from Slovakia, she went on to study at the University of Toronto and develop Xatoms with the ambition of finding better, more accessible solutions for water pollution.
Using computing to explore materials
Water treatment can require energy, infrastructure and materials that are difficult to deploy affordably in every community. Xatoms seeks to use computational tools to discover candidate materials and test their performance. Its announced pilot projects span multiple continents, according to the award organizers.
These efforts are pilot and development work; they do not mean that all claimed water-treatment effects are independently verified or that the technology has solved unsafe drinking water access globally. Long-term performance, cost, safety and real-world scalability remain important questions.
Recognition and the next generation
The Cisco Youth Leadership Award, presented through Global Citizen, recognizes young people using technology to address major global challenges. Diana has also spoken about mentoring younger entrepreneurs, particularly women pursuing science and climate ventures.
Her story shows how a question asked in youth can develop into sustained scientific and entrepreneurial work—and why continued testing and transparency matter alongside ambition.
Primary sources: Global Citizen’s 2026 prize recipients; Cisco Youth Leadership Award recipient profile; Cisco Newsroom interview.
Image note: Featured photograph is illustrative and does not depict Diana, Xatoms or a particular field pilot.
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