Tuesday, July 31, 2012

GoPro Plans IPO, Says Report

GoPro, the maker of the popular, wearable, waterproof, sports action cameras for consumers, is planning an IPO, says a report Tuesday afternoon from Reuters. The report--citing sources near to the company--said that GoPro has hired JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, and Barclays Plc to manage the offering. GoPro--although based in the Bay Area--has a number of Southern California ties, including staff in San Diego, an investment from Burbank-based Steamboat Ventures, plus a group in San Diego it acquired when it bought Cineform. Plus, the firm was founded by UC San Diego grad Nicholas Woodman, who came up with the idea from his surfing days there. If true, the IPO will be a big win for former Steamboat VC Beau Laskey, who managed the Steamboat Ventures investment from Los Angeles until recently.

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