Niantic Labs To Become An Independent Company — 'They’re Now Ready To Accelerate Growth,' Says Google Rep

By Alex Cruz | Aug 14, 2015 06:00 AM EDT

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Niantic Labs, one of the groups inside Google, announced its spinoff from the search giant to become an independent company, according to the company's post on its Google+ page.

It further stated that it's taking its exploration to an even bigger audience with new partners. However, it was also noted on the post that Google will still be a collaborator and backer.

"They're now ready to accelerate their growth by becoming an independent company, which will help them align more closely with investors and partners in the entertainment space," a Google spokesperson said in a statement which was sent to Tech Crunch.

"We're excited to continue supporting them as they bring exploration and fun to even more people around the world," the statement continued.

The split came days after Google announced its massive restructuring to Alphabet. The move is intended to allow businesses within the company, like Niantic Labs, to exercise more independence.

It appears, though, that the game maker already made its decision to become a separate company. According to CNET, it wasn't clear how long this decision to split from Google has been in the works.

Details about the separation are scarce. It has been reported that Niantic is in the process of developing a TV show for Ingress, and it's unclear if the separation has something to do with it.

Google did not provide any official statements about the show nor confirmed if the split was related to it.

Meanhwile, Ingress, developed by Niantic Labs, is an augmented reality online multiplayer role playing game which used to be exclusive for android. Since its release in 2012, it reportedly has been downloaded for more than 12 million times and attracted more than 250,000 to live events globally, Information Week reported.

Niantic Labs was founded in 2010 by John Hanke, who is also known as the co-founder of Keyhole, which later became Google Earth.

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