Insta360 has steadily grown in prominence since arriving on the scene in 2015. Founded and still controlled by Liu Jingkang, who also goes by Jingkang Liu or JK Liu, the company is best known for products such as the X series of 360-degree cameras, including the X3 and
Liu’s journey into the camera business began while he was studying computer science at Nanjing University in China in the early 2010s. There, he assembled a small team and launched a platform for live-streaming lectures from other Chinese universities. After graduating in 2014, Liu and his team moved from live streaming to 360-degree imaging, eventually giving birth to Insta360. While the company initially focused on 360-degree cameras for what was then an emerging virtual reality (VR) market, it shifted its focus to consumer products and conventional action cameras, helping to make it a global brand. In June 2025, Insta360 transitioned from a private startup to a publicly traded company, making its ownership structure a bit more stratified than it was previously.
To be clear, Insta360 is a brand owned by Arashi Vision, a Shenzhen-based company founded by Liu in 2015. With a stake of around 27%, Liu remains its ultimate majority shareholder after its listing on Shanghai’s STAR Market in 2025. The listing has expanded Arashi Vision’s ownership base, attracting institutional investors and the general public. Other significant shareholders include early investors and investment funds. Notably, although Liu owns more than a quarter of Arashi Vision, its largest shareholder is Beijing Lanfeng Chuangshi Network Technology, which owns the majority stake and is chaired by Liu.
Who is Insta360 up against?
So how is Insta360 doing under the leadership of the man who brought it to life? Pretty good, that’s the simple answer. The company has seen rapid growth in recent years, with its cameras now rivaling two of the biggest names in the market, namely DJI and GoPro. An impressive part of its story is that while Insta360 remains particularly strong in the 360-degree camera sector where it made its mark, it has also become a major player in the broader action camera market. In fact, revenue jumped nearly 75% in 2025 to more than 9.7 billion yuan (about $1.45 billion), according to the company’s latest annual results.
These numbers make it hard to ignore the rise of Insta360. But being a fast-growing company is not the same as being a market leader. So when it comes to Insta360 and its two main rivals – DJI and GoPro – who really comes out on top? What is clear is that GoPro, the company that brought action cameras to the mainstream and once dominated the industry, is now struggling the most of the three, with revenue down 19% in 2025, while camera sales are down 20%, and the company revealed in 2026 that it was exploring a possible sale or merger.
While GoPro seems to be disappearing, DJI and Insta360 are fighting to dominate the action camera market. Both have been relatively quick to build strong lineups for action cameras and related categories, while also aggressively pushing toward new features and form factors. DJI’s launch of the Osmo 360 in 2025 put it in direct competition with Insta360, which has established itself in the 360 camera category with devices like the X4. The two are now jostling for position in a broader market of compact action cameras aimed at creators and adventurers.
