Key Takeaways
- Midjourney acquired Co-Star, an astrology app with 4.3 million monthly active users
- Co-Star's 24-person team joins Midjourney, bringing consumer app expertise
- The deal signals Midjourney's expansion beyond its Discord-based image generation roots
Midjourney, the AI lab behind one of the most popular image generators, has acquired Co-Star, the social astrology app with approximately 4.3 million monthly active users. Bloomberg first reported the deal, though financial terms remain undisclosed. Co-Star's entire team of about two dozen employees now works for Midjourney.
The acquisition is odd at first glance. Midjourney built its reputation on AI-generated art and video, operating almost entirely through Discord. Co-Star reads birth charts and writes horoscopes. The connection? Consumer app expertise that Midjourney desperately lacks.
Why would Midjourney want an astrology app?
Midjourney has no standalone app. That's remarkable for a company that became a household name in generative AI. Users access its image and video tools through Discord servers. It works, but it limits growth.
Co-Star's team spent years building a polished mobile experience. The app lets users generate and share astrological birth charts, with both AI and human writers producing daily horoscopes and compatibility assessments. That expertise in consumer-facing product design could help Midjourney finally escape Discord's walls.
This isn't Midjourney's first move outside its core image generation business. The company has also been building a medical arm and even a spa. An astrology app fits the pattern of casting a wide net, though critics might call it scattered.
Another AI company expanding its product surface area
What happens to Co-Star's 4.3 million users?
Neither company has announced plans for Co-Star's future. The app could continue operating independently, get folded into a larger Midjourney product, or serve primarily as an acqui-hire vehicle for its engineering talent.
Co-Star already blends AI with human content creation. Its horoscopes and compatibility readings use machine learning models alongside human writers. That hybrid approach aligns with how Midjourney thinks about AI, using it as a creative tool rather than a full replacement for human judgment.
Midjourney's strange product expansion
The acquisition adds to Midjourney's increasingly diverse ambitions. A medical arm. A spa. Now astrology. Each seems disconnected from AI image generation, yet all share a common thread: they're consumer-facing ventures that require strong product design.
Midjourney's competitors have moved faster on standalone apps. OpenAI has ChatGPT on iOS and Android. Google's Gemini is approaching one billion users. Midjourney's Discord-only approach made sense when it was a scrappy startup, but that constraint now looks like a liability.
| Company | Standalone App | Reported Users | Primary Product |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midjourney | No (Discord only) | Not disclosed | Image/video generation |
| OpenAI ChatGPT | Yes (iOS, Android, Desktop) | 100M+ weekly | Text, image, voice AI |
| Google Gemini | Yes (iOS, Android) | ~1 billion | Multimodal AI assistant |
| Co-Star | Yes (iOS, Android) | 4.3M monthly | Astrology/horoscopes |
Another major tech acquisition reshaping AI industry structure
The acqui-hire angle
Twenty-four employees might sound small, but for a company like Midjourney, that's meaningful talent. Co-Star's team built an app that retained millions of users in a notoriously fickle consumer market. They know how to ship mobile products, handle app store reviews, and build features people actually use daily.
Midjourney has operated with a famously lean team. Adding 24 people with consumer app experience could accelerate its timeline for a standalone product. The astrology business might be secondary to the people building it.
Logicity's Take
This deal makes more sense as a talent acquisition than a strategic pivot into astrology. Midjourney's Discord-only model has been a ceiling on growth for over a year, while competitors like OpenAI and Google ship native apps. Co-Star's 24-person team knows how to build consumer products that people open daily. The 4.3 million users are a bonus, but the real value is accelerating Midjourney's path to a standalone app. Expect a proper iOS and Android launch within 12 months.
AI companies finding niche consumer applications
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did Midjourney pay for Co-Star?
The deal terms were not disclosed. Neither Midjourney nor Co-Star has revealed the acquisition price.
Will Co-Star continue to operate as a separate app?
This hasn't been announced. Co-Star could continue independently, merge into a Midjourney product, or shut down while its team builds something new.
Does Midjourney have a standalone app now?
No. As of July 2026, Midjourney still operates primarily through Discord. The Co-Star acquisition could help change that.
How many users does Co-Star have?
Co-Star reportedly has approximately 4.3 million monthly active users who use the app for astrology birth charts and horoscopes.
What other businesses is Midjourney building?
Beyond image and video generation, Midjourney has been developing a medical arm and a spa, indicating broad consumer ambitions.
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Source: TechCrunch / Amanda Silberling
Manaal Khan
Tech & Innovation Writer
Produced with AI assistance and reviewed by the Logicity editorial team. Learn more in our Editorial Policy.
