Midjourney said it acquired Co-Star and will use the team to build consumer apps.
Why it matters: The deal gives Midjourney an experienced app-builder as it expands beyond image generation and into more direct consumer products. It also signals a push to control how users access Midjourney's AI tools.
- Midjourney said on July 24 that it acquired Co-Star, calling it its first acquisition.
- Midjourney said Co-Star founder Banu Guler will stay in charge of Co-Star and become Midjourney's chief design officer.
- David Holz said Guler and her team will help build Midjourney's first apps, including one for image generation.
- The Verge also reported the deal on July 24, but Midjourney did not disclose terms or a closing timeline.
Midjourney said it acquired Co-Star, the astrology app, in what it described as its first acquisition. The announcement appeared on Midjourney's site on July 24, and The Verge reported the deal the same day.
Midjourney did not disclose terms. Founder David Holz said Co-Star founder Banu Guler will remain in charge of Co-Star and also join Midjourney as chief design officer. Holz said Guler and her team will help build Midjourney's first apps, including one focused on image generation.
The move matters because Midjourney has mainly reached users through the web and Discord rather than a broader standalone app lineup. Adding Co-Star's team gives Midjourney more in-house app-building experience as it looks to package and distribute its products more directly.
Co-Star says it was founded by Guler and co-founded in 2017. Its site says the app uses human insight, NASA data and AI to provide daily advice and compatibility features.
Midjourney did not say when its first apps would launch or whether more acquisitions are planned.
Yes, but: Midjourney has not disclosed deal terms or a launch date for its new apps, so the strategic shift is clear but the near-term impact is still uncertain.
What's next: Midjourney has not given a timetable for its first apps or said whether it plans additional acquisitions.