Midjourney is officially tired of being just an "advanced paintbrush" tucked away inside Discord. The company’s first-ever acquisition—the purchase of astrology service Co-Star—proves that David Holz is aiming to build a full-fledged mobile empire. As Holz confirmed to Bloomberg, the deal actually closed back in the spring, though the cards are only being revealed now.
The choice of Co-Star seems strange only at first glance. Behind the facade of horoscopes lies a finely tuned engine for audience retention and data processing. For years, Banu Guler’s team has been blending NASA ephemerides with text-generation algorithms to create a product with incredibly high daily engagement. For Midjourney, this isn't just a startup acquisition; it’s the purchase of a ready-made product design department. Guler has already stepped in as Midjourney’s Chief Design Officer, tasked with leading the development of the company’s first native mobile apps to transition the project from text chats to the App Store.
Main Takeaways
Midjourney has completed its first acquisition by purchasing the astrology service Co-Star. Co-Star founder Banu Guler has been appointed as Midjourney’s Chief Design Officer. The deal is designed to build a proprietary mobile ecosystem outside of the Discord environment. The strategic priorities are now user retention and content personalization.
"We aren't just buying a company; we are buying a deep understanding of how to make technology a part of everyday life," Midjourney’s leadership noted.
Strategic interest here lies squarely within the "attention economy." In this case, astrology serves as an effective proxy for deep profiling: users voluntarily hand over personal data in exchange for irrational yet addictive content. By integrating Co-Star’s expertise, Midjourney gains the tools to create personalized interfaces capable of competing for screen time alongside major social networks. This is a textbook acquisition of B2C marketing and UX competencies—skills that Holz’s engineering-heavy team desperately lacked.
While Co-Star will continue to operate under its own brand for now, the trajectory is clear: Midjourney is moving from pure technology to building personal digital environments. The company isn't buying the "stars"; it's buying a proven method to weave AI into a user’s daily routine, turning image generation from a geeky hobby into a personalized mass-market service.