Quantum computing, fusion energy and advanced sensing all rely on superconductors. But many superconducting materials used today were developed decades ago and never designed to meet the demands of emerging technologies.
Toronto-based startup MEISSNER is working to change that.
Founded by University of Toronto Materials Science student Olivia Leng, MEISSNER is building a discovery engine for the next generation of superconducting materials.
The company recently announced an oversubscribed $4-million (US$2.8-million) pre-seed financing round, backed by BDC Capital’s Thrive Venture Fund and several big-name angel investors, including Canadian tech leaders Andrew Talpash, Anthony Lacavera, Christian Weedbrook, Daniel Debow, Dennis Bennie, Eliot Pence, Greg Twinney, and Michael and Richard Hyatt. The funding will support the development of MEISSNER’s platform for discovering superconducting materials that are manufacturable, commercially scalable and capable of dramatically improving the economics of the systems they enable.
AI-driven discovery for the next generation of superconductors
The potential of superconductors has long been recognized. Materials that conduct electricity with no resistance or energy loss are already powering technologies including MRI machines and magnetic levitation systems. Further advances in superconducting materials could enable breakthroughs in quantum computing, advanced defence technologies and fusion energy.
The challenge is that discovering and testing new superconductors is often slow and resource-intensive.
Leng saw the momentum building around AI-driven scientific discovery, particularly in drug development, and was inspired to apply a similar framework to discovering new superconducting materials. To accelerate discovery, MEISSNER combines machine learning, computational modelling and laboratory testing to identify and validate promising new materials.
From U of T research to startup founder
Leng studied Materials Science at the University of Toronto, where she spent four years working directly with superconducting materials, conducting laboratory research and running simulations to better understand their properties.
“That research experience exposed me to world-class scientists and engineers and helped me build relationships across the artificial intelligence, materials science and quantum ecosystems,” says Leng.
Outside of the lab, Leng has been an active participant in U of T’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. With a different venture, Leng was part of the Hatchery, U of T’s accelerator based in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering. MEISSNER was a participant in the Creative Destruction Lab inside the Rotman School of Management, and the company has also represented the university on prominent stages, including at Montreal StartupFest in 2025 and 2026, as well as Nrth Festival in 2026.
For Leng, those connections have become an important part of building and growing her company.
“One of the most valuable outcomes of my time at U of T has been the network and technical judgment to recruit exceptional talent into MEISSNER,” says Leng.
Now backed by its first major round of funding, MEISSNER is entering its next stage of growth. The company’s long-term ambition is to develop materials that could power entire industries, from next-generation computing systems to advanced energy technologies.
