Ignition Design Labs

About Ignition Design Labs

Ignition Design Labs (IDL) was a technology firm established in 2015 by co-founders Terry Ngo, who served as CEO, and Johnny Cheng, the VP of Engineering. Based in San Jose, California, the company was composed of veteran wireless networking engineers focused on developing solutions for the next-generation Internet of Things (IoT).

The company's flagship product was the Portal Smart WiFi Router, which it began shipping in late 2016 after a successful Kickstarter campaign that raised nearly $800,000 from over 4,500 backers. Portal was designed to address Wi-Fi network congestion, particularly in dense urban environments like apartment buildings. Its core technology, marketed as FastLanes™, utilized Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) to access protected 5 GHz spectrum channels that are typically reserved for radar and are unused by most consumer routers. This allowed the router to automatically move devices to less crowded channels, aiming to provide a more stable and faster internet experience for activities like 4K video streaming and online gaming.

Initially launched as a single router, Ignition Design Labs later adapted to market trends by incorporating mesh networking capabilities, allowing users to connect two Portal units to extend coverage in larger homes. The Portal router featured a distinctive low-profile design, nine internal antennas, and could be managed via a mobile app and a more detailed web console. The business model centered on direct-to-consumer sales through platforms like Amazon and its own website, as well as pursuing OEM deals with service providers. Over its history, the company raised a total of $2.92 million in seed funding over two rounds, with Sierra Ventures being a notable institutional investor.