( Redmond, Washington ) — Vanson HaloSource,
Inc. ( www.vanson.com ), whose antimicrobial
solutions are fundamentally changing how industries improve patient
care, consumer hygiene and global health, has closed a $5 million
round of funding. Mars, Inc., ( www.mars.com )
the $16 billion global consumer goods giant whose products include
M&Ms,
Snickers Bars and Pedigree dog food, participated in the round.
Existing investors include Alexander Hutton Venture Partners, LP and Buerk
Dale Victor LLC. The two firms co-led the company's only other institutional
round of funding, in 2002. WRF Capital, venture investment arm of the Washington
Research Foundation, also joined this round .
Vanson HaloSource will use the funds to accelerate the global launch of
several new products already in production, and to accelerate commercialization
of new technologies under development. These new offerings address the fast-growing
markets for antimicrobial water treatment, coatings and biomedical solutions.
Commercial applications include cost-effective drinking water purification
systems, and textiles and other materials that consistently kill germs,
bacteria and viruses.
“Vanson HaloSource has a novel approach to purifying water that really
intrigues us,'' said Michelle Weese, a spokeswoman for Mars, based in McLean,
Va. “Its innovative water purifying technology has possible applications
for our global pet care and vending machine coffee products businesses.
We are always looking to conceptualize the future, identify trends, and
develop new ways to grow.”
‘Rechargeable' Is the Difference
In the 18 months since Vanson HaloSource launched its first antimicrobial
products, the company has rapidly gained market share. There are three key
advantages of its technology, which tightly binds chlorine to provide the
following benefits:
• It kills the broadest spectrum of germs, viruses and bacteria;
• It kills them faster than any other offering on the market;
• And it's ‘rechargeable' – the killing power can be
recharged again and again for the life of the material to which it is attached
via simple chlorine-based cleanings.
Products from uniforms to water filters embedded with Vanson HaloSource's
technologies continue to be 100 percent effective for years, establishing
a new threshold for price-performance.
Key Milestones
“In the past 12 months, Vanson HaloSource has demonstrated impressive
momentum,” said Kent Johnson, managing director of Alexander Hutton
Venture Partners, LP. “The new executive team is taking the company
to the next level, and several significant partnerships are already well
underway with the No. 1 suppliers in key markets, like Medline Industries,
the nation's largest privately held manufacturer and distributor of medical
supplies.”
Vanson HaloSource has been awarded more than 40 patents for its suite of
solutions, which are based on N-halamine and chitosan technologies, and
has another 39 patents pending.
“We have seen explosive growth in the interest in advanced antimicrobial
solutions in the past six months,” said John Kaestle, Vanson HaloSource
president and CEO, who joined the company in early 2004. “Our strategic
partners are actively helping us identify new markets and opportunities,
and we're thrilled to have the opportunity to work with investors of the
caliber of Mars.”
About Vanson HaloSource
Vanson HaloSource is a health sciences company that employs chitin/chitosan-
and N-halamine-based technologies to create innovative solutions for a wide
range of customer applications. With facilities in Redmond and Raymond,
Wash., the company combines expertise from chemists, biochemists and microbiologists
to manufacture products and ingredients to serve the water treatment, biomedical,
industrial and home markets. It leverages cutting-edge processes to refine
chitin and chitosan for water-clarification and various biomedical products.
With N-halamine technology, the company is developing antimicrobial and
antiviral filters, coatings and textiles to purify water and improve sanitation
in homes, healthcare settings and a multitude of environments. More information
is available at www.vanson.com .
About Mars
MASTERFOODS USA, the United States food, snack and petcare operations of
Mars, Incorporated, is one of the world's leading food manufacturers. With
more than $5 billion in annual sales, the combined food, petcare and snack
segments are a symbol of excellence for quality brands. Headquartered in
Hackettstown, NJ, MASTERFOODS USA owns some of the world's favorite brands
including "M&M's"® Brand, SNICKERS® Brand, UNCLE BEN'S® Brand,
KAL KAN Brand, PEDIGREE® Brand Food For Dogs, WHISKAS® Brand Food
For Cats, SEEDS OF CHANGE®, and FLAVIA® Beverage Systems.
Mars, Incorporated, is a privately-held, family-owned company that produces
some of the world's leading confectionery, food, petcare, beverage and electronics
products and operates in more than 60 countries. Headquartered in McLean,
Virginia, Mars employs more than 7,000 associates in the United States (or
30,000 associates worldwide), with 15 manufacturing facilities nationwide
(or more than 75 manufacturing facilities worldwide). The company's global
sales exceed $15 billion annually.
About Alexander Hutton Venture Partners
Alexander Hutton Venture Partners, LP is a Seattle-based $95 million
venture capital company, inaugurated in December 1999. Committed to delivering
the highest level of service as investors, directors and strategic advisors,
AHVP focuses on nurturing early-stage technology companies located in
the Pacific Northwest. AHVP's team of professionals has served in leadership
roles in some of the most innovative and successful technology companies
in the region, including Microsoft, RealNetworks, and F5 Networks. Alexander
Hutton Venture Partners can be found on the Web at www.alexanderhutton.com
About Buerk Dale Victor LLC
Buerk Dale Victor LLC (BDV) is a leading Seattle-based private equity
firm focused on investing in Northwest emerging growth companies. BDV
invests across multiple sectors including business and consumer products
and services, healthcare, retail, technology and financial services. With
over 150 years of investment and operational expertise, Buerk Dale Victor
is uniquely positioned to help entrepreneurs build successful, enduring
businesses. Buerk Dale Victor can be found on the Web at www.bdvllc.com.
Vanson HaloSource is a trademark of Vanson HaloSource, Inc. All other trademarks
are property of their respective owners.
