Light-based identification solutions provider Visualant said it has finished its $5 million in equity funding on Thursday. The Seattle-based company acquired investment from Special Situations Technology Fund. SSTF is a fund of AWM Investment Company Inc.

Visualant offers diagnostic solutions and eye-identification with its ChromaID ^TM technology. ChromaID is used to detect and diagnose markers that are unseen by the human eye. Due to the technology's disruptiveness,  ChromaID is able to perform analyses that were previously impossible to small scale tests.

"We are very pleased to announce the close of this funding. With this funding we have strengthened our balance sheet, completed the purchase of our TransTech subsidiary, and obtained working capital to support the rapid movement of our ChromaID technology into the marketplace," said Visualant founder and Chief Executive Officer Ron Erickson in a statement. " We are pleased to have assembled a strong investor group, led by Special Situations Technology Fund complemented by other leading microcap institutional investors and participation by members of the Visualant management team," he added.