Looking to boost profits? Consider data centers. Or batteries for those centers. Or shift toward defense.

This is not investment advice, yet it captures what is captivating public markets and venture backers these days. Ford's emerging energy storage unit - tiny compared to Tesla's and not launching until next year - drove its shares higher than in ages. Redwood Materials secured $425 million from giants like Google and Nvidia by targeting data center power solutions. Cerebras recently staged one of 2026's most sizzling IPOs.

Funding for defense startups keeps surging, as seen with Anduril's fresh $5 billion raise this week. It appears any firm with even a slim shot at federal contracts is chasing them aggressively.

Enter GoPro.

The action camera pioneer has endured plenty over the years. In the 2010s, "GoPro killer" buzz rivaled talk of "Tesla killers" or "iPhone killers," with challengers from TomTom cams to Google's Clips (anyone recall that?) touted to topple the California innovator that defined the niche.

Enduring is not thriving, however, and GoPro has faltered recently. Revenue has dropped, deficits have grown, and its shares hovered near $1 for two years. Thus, last month it unveiled plans to "explore defense and aerospace market opportunities."

This aligns somewhat with a brand known for elite imaging paired with ruggedness to survive bike wrecks or stratospheric drops. The announcement briefly doubled its stock value. Yet that surge has faded. The defense pivot, it turns out, lacks the indestructibility of its cameras.

You might anticipate the next twist. Thursday brought word that GoPro enlisted banker Houlihan Lokey to assess a "potential sale and other strategic alternatives." Directors noted recent "several unsolicited inbound strategic inquiries from parties across various sectors including defense, consumer and financial," code for trouble ahead.

GoPro has eyed a sale before; founder-CEO Nick Woodman said it surfaced briefly in 2018.

Conditions have worsened sharply now. Beyond crumbling finances, it revealed last month plans to cut a quarter of its staff, now down to just over 600 from a peak of 1,500.

Fifteen years back, GoPro was a tech sensation. Like many icons, it now grapples with turbulent times. No wonder the swelling Pentagon budget appeals as a lifeline amid the chaos.