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# Midjourney Makes First Acquisition, Buys Astrology App Co-Star
- URL: https://www.theleftshift.com/midjourney-makes-first-acquisition-buys-astrology-app-co-star/
- Published: 2026-07-25T05:43:37.000Z
- Updated: 2026-07-25T05:43:37.000Z
- Description: Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
- Author: The Left Shift Bureau
- Tags: Acquisition

AI image generation startup [Midjourney](https://www.theleftshift.com/midjourney-debuts-much-anticipated-v1-ai-video-generator/) has [acquired](https://updates.midjourney.com/midjourneys-first-acquisition/?ref=theleftshift.com) Co-Star, the popular AI-powered astrology app, marking its first acquisition as the company expands beyond image generation into consumer applications. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

> Midjourney is acquiring Co-Star. CEO [@banu\_\_guler](https://x.com/banu%5F%5Fguler?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=theleftshift.com) is now Chief Design Officer at Midjourney. She's building a cross-functional design, product and frontend team for all our efforts. The Co-Star app will continue to operate under Banus complete control. Welcome Banu and team <3
> 
> — Midjourney (@midjourney) [July 24, 2026](https://x.com/midjourney/status/2080671833322672148?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=theleftshift.com)

As part of the acquisition, [Banu Guler](https://www.linkedin.com/in/banuguler/?ref=theleftshift.com), Co-Star's co-founder and CEO, has joined Midjourney as its Chief Design Officer. She will lead a cross-functional design, product, and frontend team across Midjourney's growing portfolio of projects. Midjourney said the Co-Star app will continue to operate independently under Guler's leadership.

Founded in 2021 by [David Holz](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dsholtz/?ref=theleftshift.com), the former co-founder of Leap Motion, Midjourney is one of the world's leading AI image generation companies. Unlike rivals such as [OpenAI](https://www.theleftshift.com/openai-says-experimental-ai-models-breached-hugging-face-in-first-of-its-kind-cyberattack/) and Stability AI, the company has remained bootstrapped, refusing venture capital funding while building a profitable business around its AI image and video generation platform. 

The company recently signaled plans to expand into new areas, including consumer apps and healthcare technologies.

Co-Star, founded in 2017 by Banu Guler, Anna Kopp, and [Ben Weitzman](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-weitzman-48957759/?ref=theleftshift.com), combines NASA astronomical data, birth chart calculations, and AI-generated insights to deliver personalised horoscopes and compatibility readings. 

The app has attracted millions of users, particularly among younger audiences, and has raised more than $20 million from investors including Maveron, Aspect Ventures, and 14W.

In announcing the acquisition, Holz said he had known Guler for more than five years and praised her product vision. *"Co-Star itself is a wonderful project, and it will remain entirely under Banu's control and direction,"* Holz wrote in a blog post.