GoPro Says Starman Deal Will Support Its Camera Business

GoPro CEO Nick Woodman says the company remains committed to making cameras after the announcement of a proposed $285 million acquisition by Starman.

In a letter to customers, Woodman described camera-making as GoPro’s “core DNA” and said that commitment would not change. He said the merger would give GoPro greater financial strength to continue developing technology for consumer and professional content creation.

GoPro said in the deal announcement that it would work with Starman on “important areas of national security related to cameras, optics and AI infrastructure.” Woodman’s customer letter did not mention YouTuber Mark “Markiplier” Fischbach, who became GoPro’s largest individual shareholder before the acquisition.

Woodman said GoPro had accumulated more than 2500 patents over the last 24 years. He said the proposed merger would help the company become stronger and more diversified financially while continuing to develop cameras, accessories, software and services.

He said GoPro plans to improve existing products and create new tools for capturing, editing and sharing experiences. The company expects to continue making what Woodman called the world’s highest-performance cameras.