Want to make money? Start building data centers. Or build batteries. Or pivot to defense. This is what seems to be winning over public markets and private investors lately.
Ford’s nascent energy storage business, Redwood Materials’ pivot to data center energy storage, and Cerebras’ hot IPO of 2026 have all contributed to this trend. Investment in defense startups continues to pour in, with Anduril raising another $5 billion this week.
Which brings us to GoPro. The action camera company has struggled recently, with sales down, losses up and its stock price stuck at $1 for two years. Last month it announced a plan to explore defense and aerospace market opportunities. But the “pivot to defense” idea hasn’t held its value, as evidenced by the recent announcement that the company is hiring an investment bank to evaluate potential sale options.
GoPro was once a tech darling 15 years ago but now finds itself navigating a more volatile world. The massively ballooning Pentagon budget looks like a viable path through the churn for many companies, as GoPro has discovered to its cost.
