Eco Detection

About Eco Detection

Eco Detection is an Australian environmental technology company providing automated, real-time water quality analysis. Founded in Melbourne in 2016 by Jefferson Harcourt, the company was established as a spinout from the technology commercialisation firm Grey Innovation to adapt proven capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) technology for environmental monitoring. This core technology was originally developed at the University of Tasmania and shares a lineage with methods used for explosives detection.

The company's primary offering is the Ion-Q+, a 'lab-in-a-box' system that provides fully autonomous, laboratory-grade analysis of critical water nutrients and contaminants like nitrate, nitrite, and ammonium. This system transmits verifiable data in near real-time, eliminating the significant delays and costs associated with traditional manual grab sampling and laboratory analysis. The technology is engineered for remote field operations, featuring self-calibration to ensure data accuracy without drift. Data is accessible via a cloud-based platform, allowing for remote monitoring, management, and automated alerts that can be integrated with existing SCADA systems.

Eco Detection operates on a recurring revenue model, offering data-as-a-service subscriptions and leasing options for its monitoring devices. The business targets a diverse client base, including municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plants, mining operators for compliance and remediation reporting, agricultural and aquaculture sectors, water utilities, and government catchment authorities. After successful trials, commercial production began in 2022, and the company has since secured significant investments, including an $8 million convertible note in 2022 and a $10 million strategic investment from Capital Limited in July 2024 to accelerate production and market expansion.