Struggling GoPro sells majority stake to optical maker Starman for $285 million

Sept 1 (Reuters) - A little-known optical ‌parts maker is ​buying GoPro ​for $285 million in cash, a deal that would repay the struggling action-camera maker's debt and give it more room to navigate surging memory chip prices ‌and tough Chinese competition.

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.

(Reporting by Prathik Jayaprakash in Bengaluru; Writing by Aditya Soni; Editing by ‌Devika Syamnath)

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