GoPro CEO Says Cameras Aren’t Going Anywhere as Company Eyes Bigger Future

GoPro is asking its camera customers to stay with it as the company prepares for a future that extends far beyond action cameras. 

In an open letter, founder and CEO Nick Woodman said developing consumer and professional cameras remains central to GoPro, even as its proposed merger with Starman Optical pushes the company toward new markets in AI, defense, government, robotics, and aerospace.

The reassurance comes at a significant point for the company. GoPro announced on September 1 that it had agreed to merge with Starman in a deal that values the transaction at $285 million. GoPro shareholders are set to receive $1.14 per share in cash and retain approximately 10% ownership of the combined company. The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2026, subject to regulatory and shareholder approval.

For existing GoPro users, the bigger question is what happens to the cameras that built the company in the first place.

GoPro Says Its Camera Business Is Staying

Woodman directly addressed those concerns in the letter, saying GoPro will continue developing cameras and described them as the company’s “core DNA and reason for being.”

He said the additional financial strength from the merger will allow GoPro to invest in cameras, accessories, software, and services. The company also plans to use its more than 2,500 patents across a broader range of markets.

That promise comes after a difficult year for GoPro’s camera business. In its second quarter results, released in August, the company reported $105 million in revenue, down 31% from the same period a year earlier. Camera sales fell 38% to approximately 291,000 units. Subscription and service revenue, however, increased 11% to $29 million and reached a record 69% subscriber attach rate.

GoPro has also continued releasing cameras despite the financial pressure. Its MISSION 1 series became available globally in May, positioning the company further into the higher end of the digital imaging market. The company said its new GP3 processor would power cameras beginning in the second quarter of 2026.

The Starman Deal Gives GoPro a Different Business Model

The merger could give GoPro access to revenue streams that have little to do with consumer cameras.

Starman Optical manufactures optical transceivers, and the proposed transaction is expected to bring that business into GoPro. The combined company plans to expand into AI data centers, government, defense, and aerospace, while also exploring commercial applications for its imaging and optical technologies.

The deal also addresses one of GoPro’s most immediate financial problems. Starman is expected to retire approximately $92 million of GoPro’s outstanding debt. GoPro will remain publicly listed on Nasdaq after the transaction.

That broader strategy explains why Woodman’s letter focuses so heavily on diversification. GoPro is no longer presenting itself solely as an action camera company. Instead, it is trying to build a larger business around imaging, optics, software, and related technology while keeping its consumer products operating.

For photographers and videographers, that distinction matters. A company with new sources of revenue could have more resources to invest in camera development, but it also means consumer cameras will sit alongside businesses with very different priorities.

The open letter offers a clear message, but the next few years will show how much of that promise reaches consumers. The more interesting question is what GoPro can build once it has the financial room to try.

[Photos via GoPro]

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