IA · 25 July 2026 · 4 min read
Why Midjourney Bought Astrology App Co-Star: Design, Horoscopes, and the Native Mobile Push
In brief: Midjourney has acquired Co-Star, a popular social astrology platform with over four million monthly active users. Co-Star founder Banu Guler will join Midjourney as Chief Design Officer, leading the design of the AI lab's first standalone native mobile applications as Midjourney expands beyond its Discord roots.
by Team Mocchi's
In a generative AI landscape dominated by debates over parameter scale and raw computing power, Midjourney has executed a move that is as unexpected as it is strategically calculated. The independent AI lab led by David Holz has acquired Co-Star, the widely popular social astrology platform. While pairing advanced image generation with birth charts might initially appear bizarre, the deal exposes Midjourney's determination to overcome its most persistent limitation: the lack of a native mobile user experience.
From Discord Servers to Native Mobile UX
For years, Midjourney built its massive user base through an unconventional setup, relying almost entirely on a Discord bot and, only recently, expanding into a dedicated web application. While this approach fostered a highly engaged creator community, it also created friction for mainstream consumer adoption, where friction-free smartphone applications are the standard.
Co-Star, which boasts approximately 4.3 million monthly active users, sits at the opposite end of the spectrum. Its growth has been fueled by minimalist design, a distinct visual aesthetic, and viral social features. As reported by TechCrunch, the primary asset in this acquisition is not just Co-Star's user base, but the design expertise of its team. The entire 24-person staff will join Midjourney, with Co-Star founder Banu Guler stepping into the role of Chief Design Officer (CDO).
David Holz's Eclectic Diversification Strategy
Co-Star will continue to operate as a standalone application, retaining its signature mix of NASA planetary data, human editorial input, and personalized algorithmic insights. Simultaneously, Guler and her team will spearhead the design and development of Midjourney's upcoming first-party mobile software, starting with a native mobile app for visual creation.
This acquisition aligns with the unorthodox trajectory championed by Midjourney founder David Holz. As noted by The Verge, Midjourney has pursued an unusually broad range of initiatives, stretching from medical ultrasound hardware research to wellness spaces and lifestyle applications. Bringing top-tier consumer app designers onboard gives Midjourney the product engineering capabilities needed to turn sophisticated model backends into seamless, everyday mobile applications.
Mocchi's take
Midjourney's acquisition of Co-Star offers a crucial takeaway for companies building and deploying software today. While state-of-the-art model capabilities are necessary, they are no longer sufficient on their own to secure long-term market dominance. For European companies developing custom digital tools or AI integrations, user experience and mobile-first product design remain the primary differentiators. Translating complex AI models into intuitive, beautifully crafted mobile applications is ultimately what converts technological potential into sustainable business value.