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GoPro Receives Unsolicited Acquisition Interest, Hires Houlihan Lokey to Evaluate Strategic Options

The action camera maker has engaged an investment bank as it fields interest from defense, consumer and financial sectors. GoPro is simultaneously laying off a quarter of its workforce, which has already fallen to just over 600 employees from a peak of 1,500. The move follows last month's announcement that the California company would explore defense and aerospace opportunities.

TechCrunch
1 source·May 15, 1:14 PM(14 days ago)·2m read
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GoPro Receives Unsolicited Acquisition Interest, Hires Houlihan Lokey to Evaluate Strategic OptionsTechCrunch
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GoPro has hired investment bank Houlihan Lokey to help evaluate a potential sale and other strategic alternatives, the company said Thursday. GoPro’s board of directors stated it recently received several unsolicited inbound strategic inquiries from parties across various sectors including defense, consumer and financial.

The action camera maker, which invented the category, is a California company that has struggled in recent years with declining sales and rising losses.

Its stock price flatlined at about $1 two years ago. Last month GoPro announced a plan to explore defense and aerospace market opportunities, a pivot that nearly doubled its stock price for a few days before it fell back. The company is laying off a quarter of its workforce.

GoPro’s workforce has already shrunk to a little more than 600 workers after once employing as many as 1,500. GoPro founder and CEO Nick Woodman considered putting the company up for sale in 2018. The latest announcement comes as the company navigates a more volatile world in which defense spending has drawn investor interest.

Anduril raised another $5 billion this week. Redwood Materials raised $425 million from blue chip companies like Google and Nvidia. Cerebras pulled off one of the hottest IPOs of 2026. Ford’s energy storage business won’t be ready until next year.

TechCrunch reported that any company with a remote chance at nabbing government contracts appears to be pursuing that path. The pivot to defense applications makes a certain amount of sense for a company whose cameras combine top-tier image quality with enough durability to withstand a motorcycle crash or a fall from space, according to the reporting.

Survival has not necessarily meant success for GoPro, which faced repeated challenges from would-be competitors during the 2010s.

“several unsolicited inbound strategic inquiries from parties across various sectors including defense, consumer and financial.”

— GoPro board of directors The company’s financial position has deteriorated further since founder and CEO Nick Woodman first considered a sale eight years ago. TechCrunch reported that a massively ballooning Pentagon budget now looks like a viable path through the churn for the former tech darling.

Key Facts

GoPro hired Houlihan Lokey
To evaluate a potential sale and other strategic alternatives after receiving several unsolicited inbound inquiries from defense, consumer and financial sectors
Workforce reduction
GoPro is laying off a quarter of its workforce, which now stands at a little more than 600 workers after once employing as many as 1,500.
Defense pivot
Last month GoPro announced a plan to explore defense and aerospace market opportunities, which temporarily nearly doubled its stock price.

Story Timeline

5 events
  1. 2026-05-15

    GoPro hires Houlihan Lokey to evaluate potential sale after receiving unsolicited inquiries from defense, consumer and financial sectors.

    1 sourceTechCrunch
  2. 2026-04-15

    GoPro announces plan to explore defense and aerospace market opportunities, briefly nearly doubling its stock price.

    1 sourceTechCrunch
  3. 2026-04-01

    GoPro announces layoffs of a quarter of its workforce, which has already shrunk to just over 600 from a peak of 1,500.

    1 sourceTechCrunch
  4. 2024-05-16

    GoPro stock price essentially flatlined at about $1.

    1 sourceTechCrunch
  5. 2018-01-01

    GoPro founder and CEO Nick Woodman considered putting the company up for sale.

    1 sourceTechCrunch

Potential Impact

  1. 01

    Further workforce reduction of 25 percent will bring employment below current level of just over 600.

  2. 02

    Stock volatility expected to continue following brief surge after defense announcement.

  3. 03

    Defense and aerospace exploration may open government contracting pathways amid rising Pentagon budget.

  4. 04

    Potential sale could shift ownership of the company that invented the action camera category.

Transparency Panel

Sources cross-referenced1
Confidence score75%
Synthesized bySubstrate AI
Word count349 words
PublishedMay 15, 2026, 1:14 PM
Bias signals removed1 across 1 outlet
Signal Breakdown
Loaded 1

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