Federica Laricchia
Research expert covering the global consumer technology industry
GoPro - statistics & facts
Are you going on a trip and want to document the best moments? Are you a climber or a skier and want to record your sport adventures? Then a GoPro is the device for you. The success of the Go Pro action camera revolves largely around one man’s dream, the device’s inventor and current CEO of GoPro Inc., Nick Woodman. In the late 1990s to early 2000s, Woodman, a California native and passionate surfer, came up with an idea for an affordable wrist-worn camera that would allow amateur users to take professional-looking action pictures while giving them the freedom to ride waves. After having raised funds by selling beads out of his car and receiving a generous investment from his parents, the young inventor proceeded to launch the first GoPro camera, which used 35 mm film, in 2004. The name of the camera, GoPro, has since become a byword for such action cameras worldwide.
Continuing to invest in research and development and to offer users innovative products and services on a regular basis, GoPro can be expected to keep playing a major role in the fruitful action camera industry, with other players finding stiff competition when joining the market.
From the West Coast to the rest of the world: GoPro’s rapid growth
Woodman started promoting his product, called the GoPro 35mm Hero, directly to tradeshows and surf shops on the West Coast. In 2006, as digital cameras were becoming more and more popular and their technology increasingly affordable, the company launched its first Digital Hero, a camera capable of recording video as well. Over the past two decades, the company, which counted only two other employees, rapidly grew, as did its revenue, reaching over one billion U.S. dollars in 2023. In the same year, GoPro recorded shipments of almost three million units, holding onto the leadership of the action camera market. To maintain such a title, the American company invests heavily in research and development every year, growing its presence also outside of the United States. Indeed, GoPro has large business operations in both the Asia Pacific and EMEA regions. Nevertheless, its most prolific region in terms of sales is its home market in the Americas.Not only cameras: GoPro’s accessories and software applications
Following the company’s initial success, GoPro has continued to release new editions of its line of HERO action camera devices. Newer versions include HD imaging, wireless internet access, image sensors, and increased internal memory. In addition to its capture devices, the company also manufactures a range of accessories enabling users to film in any conditions, such as chest harnesses and head straps, and from any surface, such as mounts for helmets and handlebars. Furthermore, GoPro has developed two software applications: GoPro Studio, a video editing tool helping users to create videos from their GoPro footage, and the GoPro App, which enables users to remotely control their GoPro capture device using a smartphone or tablet.Continuing to invest in research and development and to offer users innovative products and services on a regular basis, GoPro can be expected to keep playing a major role in the fruitful action camera industry, with other players finding stiff competition when joining the market.
