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TechTech leaders and founders

Mastermind behind Pokemon Go has a history of innovation

John Hanke had joined Google 12 years ago after the tech giant bought his start-up

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John Hanke. Photo: Shahar Azran/WireImage/Getty Images
CNBC

It wasn't luck that propelled "Pokemon Go" to become one of the biggest gaming phenomenons in recent years.

It was John Hanke, an entrepreneur who has been innovating in the digital world for decades. Hanke is the founder and CEO of Niantic Labs, the gaming company behind "Pokemon Go".

Information designer Anna Vital created an infographic for the website Funders and Founders that maps Hanke's path to success:

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Photo: fundersandfounders.com
Photo: fundersandfounders.com

Before starting a game that would garner more daily users than Twitter and launch an international craze, Hanke built a long track record as an innovator at Google .

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It all started when Google became interested in one of his start-ups, a geo-spatial data company called Keyhole. Google acquired Keyhole in 2004, giving it some key functionalities that would make Google Maps a success.

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