Oppenheimer: GoPro 'Finally' Did This

Oppenheimer’s Andrew Uerkwitz maintained a Perform rating for GoPro Inc GPRO, saying that its poor software interface has long been an important obstacle in GoPro becoming more mainstream. Against this backdrop, the acquisitions of Stupeflix and Vemory come as ways to correct these bottlenecks.

GoPro has plans to acquire Paris-based Stupeflix for its Replay app. This app allows extremely quick auto video editing and sharing. GoPro also intends to purchase Austin, Texas-based Vemory for its Splice app. The first version of this app was released in 2011 and allows to seamlessly integrate media content.

“We see these acquisitions as moving closer to fill the gap with the mobile experience. For prosumers, GoPro has a very solid PC editing suite. For consumers who want quicker functions (Splice: mobile-edit or Replay: auto-edit), it now has the solutions. The next challenge will be integration into the GPRO platform,” analyst Andrew Uerkwitz wrote.

GoPro has started making strategic moves that appear to be both essential as well as “long overdue,” Uerkwitz noted. He added that the company continues to be “in catch-up mode (drones, 360 consumer capture, and software).”