GPRO Stock Doubles In Two Days Following Starman Optical Merger, YouTuber Markiplier Stake

• GoPro shareholders will receive $285 million in cash and retain around a 10% equity stake.
• The combined firm will stay Nasdaq-listed, continue its consumer camera and cloud operations, and integrate Starman's U.S.-manufactured optical transceivers for AI data centers.
• The deal follows prominent content creator Markiplier acquiring an 8.5% stake to become GoPro’s largest individual shareholder. 

Action-camera manufacturer GoPro, Inc. (GPRO) share price doubled in the past two trading sessions after it entered into a definitive merger agreement with privately held optical-photonics firm Starman Optical, Inc.

Under the agreement, GoPro stockholders will receive an aggregate cash payout of $285 million, equivalent to $1.14 per share, and retain about 10% ownership of the combined entity. The transaction also fully pays off GoPro’s roughly $92 million in outstanding debt, establishing a debt-free balance sheet.

The combined entity will remain publicly traded on the Nasdaq. While GoPro plans to maintain its existing consumer camera lines, subscriptions, and cloud services, it will expand its footprint by incorporating Starman’s domestic optical transceiver business to target artificial intelligence data centers, government, defense, and aerospace sectors. 

Both corporate boards have approved the deal, which is expected to close by the end of 2026, pending regulatory and shareholder approvals.

GPRO stock soared 51.2% on Tuesday following a 46% jump in the previous session. 

Optical Technology Merger And AI Infrastructure Pivot

The merger marks a strategic repositioning for GoPro, leveraging its portfolio of over 2,500 patents and 24 years of optical engineering alongside Starman’s U.S. manufacturing platform. By integrating Starman’s photonics hardware, the company aims to onshore the production of high-speed optical transceivers needed for demanding AI computing environments.

"Advanced optics and imaging are essential to AI, national security, and the broader economy, yet much of the critical hardware supporting these technologies continues to be manufactured overseas," said Charles Tebele, Chief Executive Officer of Starman Holding. "Together, we intend to bring production of these critical components back to the United States."

Nicholas Woodman, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of GoPro, noted that the combination will enable the business to diversify into the enterprise and defense sectors.

"We expect this merger to enable GoPro to grow across consumer, commercial and defense markets as a leading American imaging and optical solutions company, addressing important areas of national security related to cameras, optics and AI infrastructure," Woodman said.

YouTube Creator Markiplier Emerges As Top Shareholder

The merger announcement follows a dramatic turn in GoPro's stock dynamics driven by internet creator Mark Fischbach, known online as Markiplier. Fischbach, who boasts nearly 40 million subscribers on YouTube, recently acquired an 8.5% stake in GoPro, making him the company's largest single shareholder.

Fischbach said his investment stemmed from a belief that the action-camera maker was significantly undervalued after its stock dropped more than 50% year-to-date. 

"I saw the stock, and where it was, I was like, that seems undervalued," Fischbach told Bloomberg. "It's just something I've been cooking in the background; I want the company to succeed."

GPRO Stock: Retail View 

Retail sentiment on Stocktwits was ‘extremely bullish’ with ‘extremely high’ message volumes. 

One user was bullish on GoPro’s business outlook, viewing it not only as a camera maker but also as an AI and photonics player. 

GPRO stock has lost 17.2% year-to-date. 

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