Canadian-based Start-up wins Top Prize at Entrepreneurship Forum in Clovis

Ecoli, the Canadian-based start up, winner of the Central Valley Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum, received $10,000. (Photo by Michael Ford/Clovis Roundup)

The Clovis Veterans Memorial District hosted the annual Central Valley Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum on Wednesday, Oct. 23, and a lot was on the line for a few business startups.

Executives and leaders of five ventures pitched their companies to a panel of judges consisting of investors in order to receive a $10,000 award.

Winning the prize was Ecoli Sense, a company that has developed a real-time bacteria detection technology that aims to more efficiently detect harmful bacteria in water that is used for drinking, irrigation and other industrial applications.

“Ten-thousand dollars sounds amazing. It’s really going to help us,” Ecoli Sense CTO Dr. Jamal Zeinalov said. “It was about getting our message out and meeting all the great people here today, but definitely having that validation feels just great.”

Zeinalov said that the company, based in Ontario, Canada, will use the money to develop new pilots to further advance the company’s mission of developing newer, more efficient technologies to more quickly detect bacteria other than just E. Coli.

“We’re actually at our pilot stage right now,” Zeinalov said. “We’re going to be looking to establish new pilots, including right here in California. The money is definitely going to go towards that. Probably at the Fresno University here… it helps us provide a demonstration unit so that we can bring customers here to take a look at what we have to offer.”

The event for companies of all sizes also included a Stock Exchange and panel discussions for investors and startups.

Michael graduated from Fresno State in May 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in print journalism. During his time at the university, he served as sports and managing editor for The Collegian, Fresno State’s student-run newspaper. In addition to the Clovis Roundup, Michael has written for The Fresno Bee, the Kingsburg Recorder and Selma Enterprise. He has a passion for sports and can be found on the sidelines at local games, bringing the citizens of Clovis the athletics news they deserve.