GoPro becomes military and AI company following $285 million acquisition

After GoPro recently launched its most exciting action camera to date, the Mission 1 Pro ($599 on Amazon), the company has now announced in a press release that 90 percent of the company’s shares will be acquired by Starman Optical, Inc., at $1.14 per share, for a total of $285 million. Upon completion of this acquisition, GoPro’s outstanding debt of $92 million is to be fully repaid, while the remaining 10 percent of the shares will remain in the hands of existing shareholders.

GoPro will continue to be publicly traded. While support for existing GoPro products will continue, and paid subscriptions will remain available for the foreseeable future, GoPro’s focus will shift. For now, GoPro has left open whether it will continue to develop and sell action cameras. What is certain is that GoPro will produce products for the military, government, robotics, and aviation sectors in the future, while also manufacturing components for AI data centers.

Starman has indicated that the acquisition is primarily about GoPro’s patents, which are to be used to expand the production of related military and AI products at Starman’s existing factories in the U.S. GoPro’s executive leadership has already approved the acquisition, and the sale of the company is expected to be completed by the end of 2026, provided no antitrust authority objects.