- As of December, GoPro was flailing with just $49.7 million in cash.
- PWC has expressed doubt about GoPro’s ability to continue operations.
- Rising prices for chips used by AI data centers are hurting the camera firm.
The gadget that turned a generation of weekend racers into amateur cinematographers might not make it through the year. GoPro, the action camera specialist founded in 2002, is staring down possible bankruptcy after several rough years and heavy financial losses. For enthusiasts like us, that raises an awkward question about where the onboard footage from track days and deep dives into the car world comes from next.
For most of the past 15 years, a large majority of the high-paced car footage you’ve watched has been filmed on GoPro devices, known for their ruggedness, exceptional quality, and class-leading stabilization features. But with smartphone cameras improving and rivals like DJI launching their own action cameras, GoPro has seen its first-mover advantages eroded and is strapped for cash.
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Financial woes aren’t new for GoPro. In 2014, shortly after going public, the company’s share price surged to $93.85, giving it a market valuation of $11 billion. A couple of years later, GoPro infamously launched its Karma drone to compete with DJI’s drones. It failed spectacularly and was pulled from the market in January 2018, prompting the brand to refocus on its core business: action cameras.
While GoPro devices remain superb, the company’s revenue dropped from more than $1 billion in 2023 to $801.5 million in 2024 and $651.5 million in 2025. Last year, it ultimately lost $93.5 million and had just $49.7 million in cash as of December. Its shares now trade at just $1.14.
Bankruptcy Concerns
In an 8-K filing issued this week, GoPro’s auditor PricewaterhouseCoopers expressed “substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern.” If it’s unable to secure new financing, GoPro “may be required to significantly reduce, restructure, cease operations, or seek protection under the Federal bankruptcy laws.”
Not only are sales of GoPro devices down, but costs are on the rise. Due to extraordinary demand from AI data centers, there’s a global shortage of memory chips, prompting prices to rise. According to GoPro, it reported price hikes of between 80 and 115 percent in the last week of March alone as chip suppliers cut production.
