Shoes, Karaoke Machines and Action Cameras Find a Second Act in AI
Shoes, karaoke machines and action cameras have little in common. However, their makers have all found artificial intelligence as the same potential second act. GoPro is the latest unlikely addition, following Allbirds, which sold its footwear business to pursue AI compute, and Singing Machine, which moved from karaoke machines into AI logistics. GoPro agreed this […] The post Shoes, Karaoke…
Shoes, karaoke machines and action cameras are unrelated products, but their manufacturers have discovered artificial intelligence as a potential second opportunity. GoPro is the latest company to embark on this path, joining Allbirds and Singing Machine. GoPro recently agreed to merge with Starman Optical, a private maker of optical transceivers used in AI data centers, in a deal that gives Starman a 90% stake in the combined company.
The merger eliminates approximately $92 million of GoPro's debt, and GoPro shareholders will receive $285 million in cash while retaining about 10% of the company. The new company will focus on AI infrastructure, defense, robotics, and aerospace while GoPro continues to manufacture cameras. GoPro's merger differs from Allbirds' and Singing Machine's pivots due to the existence of an already shipping product.
Starman's transceivers were introduced at an industry conference and are compatible with hardware from Nvidia, AMD, and Broadcom, which are already in use by AI data centers.
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