[10] He was motivated by a 2002 surfing trip to Australia, in which he was hoping to capture high-quality action photos but could not because amateur photographers could not get close enough or buy appropriate quality equipment at reasonable prices.

[11] The 'GoPro' name came about as Woodman and his surfing friends all aspired to become professional surfers, as 'going pro' was the ultimate goal and the only way to be filmed on the water at that time.

[12] Woodman raised a portion of his initial capital by selling bead and shell belts for under US$20 from his VW van[15] and, later, fashionable camera straps.

[13][18] On June 4, 2014, the company announced the appointment of former Microsoft executive Tony Bates as president, reporting directly to Woodman.

[20] After growing the number of employees by more than 500 in 2015, the company responded to weak sales in the fourth quarter by cutting about 7% of its workforce (100 workers) in January 2016.

[28][29] In March 2013, GoPro issued a DMCA takedown notice to the website DigitalRev.com, which had posted a review[30] of its product, citing trademark use as a breach of copyright.

[31][32] On April 28, 2015, GoPro acquired Kolor, a spherical media and virtual reality startup based in Chambéry, France.

[37] On February 7, 2014, GoPro submitted a confidential filing for an initial public offering (IPO) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

[39][42] One reason for GoPro's decision to go public was the potential to become a media company to generate additional revenue from the content its cameras create.

[47] On September 28, 2017, GoPro released the HERO6 Black, which claims improved stabilization over the HERO5 models and is capable of capturing 4K video in 60 FPS.

The Karma was released along with newer models of the HERO5 and Session cameras and features a removable handheld stabilizer (gimbal) integrated into the design.

[53] However, in January 2018, GoPro Inc. said that it will be cutting more than 20 percent of its global workforce and putting an end to its drone business after a disappointing fourth quarter.

Their revenue took an $80 million hit due to discounting for its Karma drones, as well as its Hero line of cameras, over the holiday season.

[60] In April 2014, GoPro was listed by Adweek as one of the "Top 10 Best Brand Channels on YouTube" based on a combination of views, shares, comments, and overall engagement.

[64] The first generation of Digital HERO cameras (2006–09) were powered by conventional AAA batteries and included a rugged housing and wrist strap.

Models were distinguished by their still image resolution and shot video in standard definition (480 lines or lower) with a 4:3 aspect ratio.

The Digital HERO released in 2006 (Model: SQ907 mini-cam) had a 640×480 camera and shot QVGA definition 320×240 (10 fps) video for a maximum of 10 seconds.

[68] The camera is not designed to work with the newer HD HERO line of housings, although the standard screw mounts are indeed compatible.

[83] For all HD HERO variants, the camera shoots a maximum of 1080p video with a reduced field of view (127°) on its 5 MP sensor.

This is a deliberate firmware limitation, as the manufacturer does not expect that this high-end camera model will be used at these lower resolutions and frame rates.

The HERO3+ camera models claim dramatically improved low-light performance and have a waterproof enclosure, which is 20% lighter and 15% smaller than the HERO3's, according to the GoPro website.

It has additional functions, including dynamic low-light situation adjustment, higher-quality recording modes (higher bitrates, no white balance applied, etc.

It adds Bluetooth connectivity, Highlight tag, Protune Available for photo and a new processor claimed by GoPro to be twice as fast as that of the HERO3+ Black Edition, doubling the frame rates in most resolutions.

With Wi-Fi disabled at 4K/30, GoPro claims the HERO4 Black Edition battery life to be 65 minutes, increasing to a maximum of 1 h 50 min at 720p/240.

[132] This was met with considerable criticism, of which GoPro responded by releasing software updates to both cameras to allow for change in default resolution to 1080p.

[134] In contrast to the HERO7 Black, these cameras lacked most time-lapse photo modes, ProTune, wake-on-voice capabilities, H.265 formats and live-streaming.

The synchronized videos are processed using GoPro CineForm software and exported as an anaglyph to be viewed wearing red-cyan glasses.

[157] The Odyssey is a 16-camera panoramic stereo rig designed to produce content for the Google Jump virtual reality platform by synchronizing the cameras and automatically stitching their footage together.

[164] It has two cameras, each recording to a separate microSD memory card; their outputs can be stitched together using the bundled Fusion Studio desktop software as 360° Panorama video.

[170] Compared to the Fusion, MAX records to a single memory card and includes a color touchscreen that allows users to preview video.