James Dyson founded Dyson after developing a bagless vacuum cleaner based on cyclonic separation.
Dyson became frustrated with the declining suction of conventional vacuum cleaners, whose disposable bags clogged as they filled with dust. He applied cyclonic-separation principles to vacuum design and built thousands of prototypes before producing a commercially viable machine.
British manufacturers initially rejected his design, so Dyson licensed the technology to a Japanese company. The resulting G-Force vacuum won a 1991 International Design Award in Japan. Dyson then launched his own company, originally called Dyson Appliances, and began selling the Dyson DC01 in Britain in 1993.
The company is often incorrectly credited with inventing all bagless vacuum cleaners. Bagless systems existed earlier, but Dyson popularized a high-performance domestic design using multiple cyclones and strong branding. Dyson later expanded into hand dryers, fans, heaters, hair-care products, and lighting.