On Oct. 12, 2010, HaloSource completed its IPO on the London Stock Exchange and raised $50 million in gross proceeds. HaloSourceﾮ was founded in 1989 as Vanson Chemical Co by Joel Van Ornum and Lee Johnson in Redmond.

The company made the active ingredient – chitosan – in the LipoSan Ultra dietary supplement and 3M’s bacteria-blocking sponges, as well as its own Sea-Klear brand water treatment product. In 2002, Vanson merged with Seattle-based HaloSource Corp. to create Vanson HaloSource.