GoPro Finds a Lifeline: Company to Merge With Optics Maker in $285M Deal
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02.09.2026 21:34
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2 min read
GoPro, the maker of iconic action cameras, has announced a merger agreement with US-based Starman Optical. The deal will allow the loss-making brand to pay off its debts and pivot its business toward optical components for data centers and AI systems.
Under the terms of the agreement, published in a GoPro press release, current shareholders will receive $285 million in cash, or $1.14 per share, and retain about 10% of the combined business. The remaining stake will go to Starman entities.
A Way Out of a Financial Hole
For GoPro, the deal is a way out of a prolonged crisis. According to filings with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the company’s revenue fell nearly 29% in the first half of the year, to $204 million. Management had openly warned investors that the business could shut down within a year if it failed to secure emergency funding.
After the merger closes, expected by the end of the year, Starman will fully repay GoPro’s debt of about $92 million. As TechCrunch notes, the brand will remain publicly traded, and its action camera production, proprietary software support, and cloud subscription will continue to operate as usual.
Pivoting Toward AI and Defense
Starman Optical’s main interest lies in GoPro’s engineering expertise and its portfolio of more than 2,500 patents in optical sensors and image processing algorithms. Starman specializes in optical transceivers for high-speed data transmission and plans to use GoPro’s manufacturing capabilities to supply equipment to AI data centers, the aerospace sector, and US defense contractors.
The market reacted with a sharp rally: GoPro’s stock jumped 40% to $1.23.
Notably, just days before the deal, popular YouTube creator Markiplier became the company’s largest individual shareholder. According to The Verge, he bought about 8.5% of GoPro’s shares, calling the asset significantly undervalued by the market.
