GoPro is planning an unexpected expansion into AI infrastructure through a merger with Starman Optical, an optical-photonics company, according to Engadget. The deal would keep GoPro publicly listed while putting Starman’s optical transceiver business under its umbrella. Engadget reports that GoPro shareholders would receive $285 million when the deal closes and would retain around 10% ownership. The report also says GoPro’s outstanding debt of roughly $92 million would be paid as part of the transaction. The merger is not complete. Engadget says it remains subject to shareholder approval, regulatory approvals, and customary closing conditions, with GoPro expecting the deal to close by the end of 2026. Strategically, the company is not abandoning its core business. Engadget reports that GoPro plans to continue making action cameras and operating its subscription and cloud services, while using Starman’s optical transceivers to extend into the market for AI infrastructure. The planned expansion is broader than data-center components. According to Engadget, GoPro also plans to push into defense, government, robotics, and aerospace, citing the combined company’s intellectual property, optics, and imaging capabilities. The move comes after years of pressure on GoPro’s public-market story. Engadget, citing Reuters, notes that GoPro briefly reached a valuation of $4 billion on its first day as a public company in 2014, but that its stock has struggled in recent years. There was also a separate shareholder development: Engadget reports that YouTuber and filmmaker Markiplier, whose real name is Mark Fischbach, became GoPro’s largest individual shareholder after acquiring an 8.5% stake. The report says GoPro’s share price received a boost on Monday after that stake was revealed. Who benefits: If the merger closes, GoPro shareholders would receive the reported $285 million consideration and retain a minority stake in the combined company. Starman Optical would gain access to a public-company platform and GoPro’s broader optics and imaging positioning. Who's exposed: GoPro remains exposed to deal-execution risk because the merger still needs shareholder and regulatory approvals. Its existing camera, subscription, and cloud businesses also face the risk of management attention shifting toward new markets before the combined strategy is proven.