GoPro has been acquired by Starman Holding in a $285 million all-cash deal, marking a dramatic shift for the action camera maker just days after YouTuber Mark "Markiplier" Fischbach became its largest shareholder without initially disclosing the stake in a sponsored review. Rather than a straightforward buyout, GoPro is framing the transaction as a "merger" and repositioning itself as an "American imaging and optical solutions company" moving into defence, government, robotics and aerospace, alongside its traditional consumer camera business. The move follows years of financial difficulty for GoPro, including a collapse in its share price and $92 million in debt.

Starman Holding, led by CEO Charles Tebele, also owns phone case brands including Incipio, Incase, Griffin and Survivor, and has links to Digital Gadgets, a company previously involved in controversial COVID-19 testing contracts in New York. Under the deal, existing shareholders will retain 10 percent of GoPro, with Markiplier's 8.5 percent stake now worth roughly double its original value, though it remains unclear whether he intends to keep or sell it. The acquisition, which GoPro had signalled in April with plans for defence and aerospace consulting, is expected to close by the end of the year and had not yet appeared in SEC filings at the time of reporting.