Midjourney confirmed the Midjourney Co-Star acquisition on Thursday, adding the astrology app to an AI company better known for image generation than birth-chart advice. The deal brings Co-Star founder Banu Guler into Midjourney as chief design officer, according to Bloomberg, and gives the startup a team that already ships a consumer app with personalized daily content.
Midjourney did not disclose the price or other financial terms. Bloomberg reported that the transaction closed in the spring. Midjourney announced the acquisition in a company update, while Bloomberg earlier reported the deal.
David Holz, Midjourney’s founder, told Bloomberg that Guler will keep leading Co-Star after the acquisition. At the same time, she and her team will work on Midjourney’s first apps, including an app focused on image generation. That is a notable shift for a company whose models have lived mainly on the web and inside Discord rather than in native consumer software.
Why did Midjourney buy Co-Star?
Holz told Bloomberg that Guler and the Co-Star team will help Midjourney build apps. The obvious read, based on what the companies have said, is that Midjourney wanted product and design experience from a team that has already built a personalized consumer service rather than another model lab trophy.
That does not mean Midjourney has explained a new astrology strategy. The confirmed plan is narrower: Co-Star remains under Guler, and Guler becomes Midjourney’s design chief while helping create the startup’s first apps. Anything beyond that is speculation, which the AI industry already manufactures at industrial scale without help.
What is Co-Star?
Co-Star is a free astrology app that provides daily horoscopes and lets users compare compatibility with friends. According to Co-Star’s FAQ, the app uses human insight, NASA data, and AI to produce personalized daily guidance.
The NASA mention does not magically turn astrology into astronomy. In this case, it describes one input Co-Star says it uses for personalization. The app’s product is still daily horoscope-style advice and social compatibility features.
For Midjourney users, the more practical piece is the app work. Midjourney has become widely associated with AI image generation, but users have largely accessed its tools through Discord and the web. Holz’s comments to Bloomberg indicate the company now wants dedicated apps, starting with one for image generation.
The acquisition also puts a design executive with a consumer app background into a central role at Midjourney. Guler’s dual job, continuing to run Co-Star while serving as chief design officer, suggests Midjourney is not just buying an astrology brand. It is buying a product team and putting its founder close to the interface layer where regular users will actually meet Midjourney’s models.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.
