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Starman Optical, a privately held firm that makes optical transceivers in the U.S. for use in AI data centers, would get a 90% stake in GoPro under the deal announced on Tuesday, with existing shareholders of the camera company owning the rest. The companies said in a joint statement the deal would better position consumer-reliant GoPro to capitalize on its more than 2,500 U.S. patents including in optics and imaging solutions by tapping the commercial, defense and AI markets. GoPro shares rallied more than 50% on the news to trade at $1.33, above the $1.14-per-share offer price, which represented a premium of about 29.5% to its last close. That could potentially suggest that investors are expecting a higher bid. After hitting a valuation of $4 billion on its first trading day in 2014, GoPro stock has lost around 96% of its value as the company struggled in recent years in the face of mounting competition from Chinese rivals such as DJI and Insta 360. Its revenue in the June quarter was down more than 80% from a peak of $633.91 million hit in the last three months of 2014. A recent surge in memory chip prices driven by Big Tech's AI infrastructure buildout has added to the pressure, forcing the company to warn of substantial doubt about its future in June. As part of Tuesday's deal, Starman will add its optical transceivers - components that let networking equipment send data using light - to GoPro's portfolio. The companies also said they would aim to bring production of some crucial optical equipment back to the U.S. without specifying a timeline. A clutch of companies including Allbirds, now known as Smartbird, have pivoted to AI in recent months, attracted by a surge of investment in the industry. Unlike some of them, GoPro will continue with its consumer business. The company, which has about $92 million of outstanding debt, will also remain publicly listed after the deal closes, expected by the end of the year. (What's moving Sensex and Nifty Track latest market news, stock tips, Budget 2025, Share Market on Budget 2025 and expert advice, on ETMarkets. Also, ETMarkets.com is now on Telegram. For fastest news alerts on financial markets, investment strategies and stocks alerts, subscribe to our Telegram feeds .) Subscribe to ET Prime and read the Economic Times ePaper Online.and Sensex Today. Top Trending Stocks: SBI Share Price, Axis Bank Share Price, HDFC Bank Share Price, Infosys Share Price, Wipro Share Price, NTPC Share Price (What's moving Sensex and Nifty Track latest market news, stock tips, Budget 2025, Share Market on Budget 2025 and expert advice, on ETMarkets. Also, ETMarkets.com is now on Telegram. For fastest news alerts on financial markets, investment strategies and stocks alerts, subscribe to our Telegram feeds .) Subscribe to ET Prime and read the Economic Times ePaper Online.and Sensex Today. Top Trending Stocks: SBI Share Price, Axis Bank Share Price, HDFC Bank Share Price, Infosys Share Price, Wipro Share Price, NTPC Share Price
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