GoPro built its name on cameras strapped to helmets, surfboards, and mountain bikes. This week, the company said it’s chasing a very different kind of customer. Think the military, aerospace companies, and government agencies.
GoPro announced a $285 million merger with Starman Optical. Starman makes camera and imaging hardware used in defense work and AI data centers. The deal marks one of the biggest identity shifts in recent tech history for a brand this well known.
From Action Cameras to National Security
Under the agreement, GoPro shareholders will get a $285 million cash payout. That works out to $1.14 per share. Shareholders also keep roughly 10% ownership of the combined company. GoPro’s roughly $92 million in debt gets wiped out at closing.
The new company plans to push into optical hardware for defense, government, robotics, and aerospace work. It’s also adding AI data center components to the mix. GoPro founder and CEO Nicholas Woodman said the deal positions the company to compete in consumer, commercial, and defense markets, as an American-made imaging business. Much of that hardware is currently built overseas. The pitch here leans heavily on bringing that manufacturing back to the U.S.
What Happens to Your GoPro Camera
If you own a GoPro, the company says nothing changes for now. GoPro plans to keep supporting its HERO and MAX camera lineup, along with its subscription and cloud service. GoPro frames the defense and aerospace push as an addition to the camera business, not a replacement for it.
The deal still needs approval from GoPro shareholders and regulators before it can close. Both companies expect that to happen by the end of 2026. Until then, it’s a plan on paper. But for a brand best known for extreme sports footage, the announcement came as quite a surprise.