Midjourney Acquires Co-Star as AI Image Generator Expands Into Astrology Apps

An Unusual Expansion Beyond Image Generation

Midjourney has spent the past two years building one of the world's most recognizable generative-image platforms, turning text prompts into everything from fantasy landscapes to medical visualizations. Now the San Francisco startup is entering a very different arena: personalized astrology.

The company announced this week that it has acquired Co-Star, a free mobile application that delivers daily horoscopes and compatibility insights to users. The transaction reportedly closed in spring 2025, though financial terms remain undisclosed. For Midjourney founder David Holz, the move represents a broader bet on consumer engagement tools that blend human curation with algorithmic personalization.

Co-Star has carved out a loyal following since its launch, particularly among younger urban audiences who treat the app as both entertainment and a daily ritual. Users input their birth details to receive tailored astrological forecasts and can connect with friends to explore compatibility across sun, moon, and rising signs. The app's voice is conversational and direct, a contrast to the more mystical tone of legacy horoscope services.

How Co-Star Combines Celestial Data With Machine Learning

Under the hood, Co-Star pulls ephemeris data sourced from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory to calculate planetary positions in real time. That astronomical layer is then filtered through astrological interpretation written by human editors and shaped by machine-learning models trained on user engagement patterns.

The result is a feed that feels personal without requiring constant manual authoring. While traditional horoscope columns are written once and broadcast to millions, Co-Star's system generates unique snippets for each user based on the precise angles between planets at the moment of their birth and the current transits overhead. The app also surfaces prompts for reflection, asking users to note their mood or recent events, which in turn refines future recommendations.

At DailyTechWire, we've tracked the steady convergence of lifestyle apps and AI personalization engines, from fitness coaches that adapt workout intensity to meditation platforms that sequence breathing exercises by stress markers. Co-Star sits in that same category, albeit with a more esoteric data source.

What Midjourney Gains From a Horoscope Platform

On the surface, an image-generation company buying an astrology app appears scattershot. But the acquisition begins to make sense when viewed through the lens of user retention and daily engagement. Midjourney's core product is project-based: users generate images when they need them, then leave. Co-Star, by contrast, is habit-forming. Millions open the app each morning to check their forecast, creating a recurring touchpoint that image tools rarely achieve.

Holz has hinted in past interviews that Midjourney's ambitions extend beyond single-use creative tools. The company has experimented with 3D model generation, video synthesis, and even medical imaging prototypes. Acquiring a consumer app with a proven retention loop gives Midjourney a sandbox for testing recommendation algorithms, notification strategies, and monetization paths that don't rely solely on subscription tiers for power users.

There's also a data play. Co-Star collects structured input about users' lives, preferences, relationships, and self-reported emotional states. While that information is astrologically framed, it's fundamentally behavioral data that could inform broader personalization engines. Midjourney has not announced plans to merge Co-Star's data with its image platform, and doing so would raise immediate privacy questions, but the strategic value of that feedback loop is clear.

Astrology Apps as a Growing Consumer Category

Co-Star is part of a wave of astrology and spirituality apps that have attracted venture capital and millions of downloads over the past five years. Competitors include Sanctuary, which offers live readings with human astrologers, and The Pattern, which focuses on personality insights derived from birth charts. The category thrives on a mix of entertainment, self-reflection, and social sharing, with users treating horoscopes as conversation starters rather than literal predictions.

Monetization in this space typically comes from premium subscriptions that unlock deeper readings, compatibility reports, or ad-free experiences. Co-Star has remained free with optional paid features, a model that prioritizes scale over immediate revenue. For Midjourney, which has scaled rapidly on the strength of its Discord community and subscription model, Co-Star represents a new distribution channel and a testing ground for consumer product strategies outside the creative-professional niche.

Questions About Integration and Independence

Midjourney has not detailed how it plans to integrate Co-Star, or whether the app will continue operating as a standalone brand. Holz and Co-Star founder Banu Guler have both signaled that the app will retain its editorial voice and product roadmap in the near term, suggesting a hands-off approach at least initially.

The bigger question is whether Midjourney will eventually layer generative-AI features into Co-Star's experience. Imagine daily horoscopes accompanied by custom-generated imagery that reflects the user's astrological transits, or personalized tarot-style card decks rendered on demand. Such integrations would align with Midjourney's core competency while differentiating Co-Star from text-only competitors.

There's also the risk of brand dilution. Midjourney has built its reputation on cutting-edge image synthesis and a community of designers, artists, and hobbyists who value technical capability. Astrology, by contrast, is often dismissed as pseudoscience, and the acquisition has already drawn skeptical reactions on social media. Whether Holz can bridge those audiences, or whether he intends to, will shape how the deal is remembered.

What This Signals About Midjourney's Strategy

The Co-Star acquisition suggests that Midjourney is thinking beyond the boundaries of creative tooling and exploring how AI-driven personalization can be applied to daily consumer habits. The company is not alone in this ambition. OpenAI has experimented with conversational agents designed for ongoing interaction, and Anthropic has positioned its models as research assistants that users return to repeatedly.

For Midjourney, the challenge is translating the engagement mechanics of a horoscope app into sustainable business value. Co-Star's user base is large but not necessarily aligned with Midjourney's existing customer profile. Bridging that gap will require either new product offerings that appeal to both groups or a willingness to operate two distinct brands under one roof.

The deal also raises the possibility that Midjourney is preparing for a broader platform play, one where generative AI powers a suite of consumer apps rather than a single flagship product. If that's the strategy, Co-Star is less an oddball acquisition and more a signal of diversification to come.