Ingress, founded in 2013 by John Hanke, is an AR geo-game within Niantic’s ecosystem. Listed as unfunded, its development was supported through Niantic’s R&D. Ingress introduced persistent, location-based gameplay, team coordination, and community-driven events. The game pioneered real-world AR interactions and acted as a testbed for future Niantic hits such as Pokémon GO. It advanced AR mechanics and player engagement without independent venture backing, remaining strategically integrated into Niantic’s broader platform.