AI lab Midjourney has acquired the astrology app Co-Star and is developing its first standalone image-generation application, expanding beyond its core AI services.
Midjourney Inc., the artificial intelligence startup known for its text-to-image generation tool, has acquired Co-Star, a popular astrology application. The purchase marks the company's entry into consumer app development and follows an announced expansion into new business areas.
Co-Star uses AI to generate personalized astrological readings for users. The app has built a significant user base since its launch, offering daily horoscopes and cosmic insights powered by machine learning algorithms.
The acquisition aligns with Midjourney's broader strategy to diversify its offerings. The company has shifted from solely licensing its image-generation API to developing consumer-facing products. This move reflects the changing landscape of AI startups, many of which are moving away from B2B licensing models toward direct-to-consumer applications.
Midjourney is simultaneously building its own standalone image-generation app, separate from its existing Discord-based interface. The new application would allow users to generate images without relying on the Discord platform, potentially broadening its addressable market.
The startup, backed by Andreessen Horowitz and other investors, has experienced rapid growth in the competitive AI image-generation space. Competitors include OpenAI's DALL-E and Stability AI's Stable Diffusion. The acquisition of Co-Star suggests Midjourney is betting on leveraging its AI capabilities across diverse use cases.
Details about pricing, integration plans, and timelines for the new image-generation app remain unclear. The acquisition also raises questions about how Midjourney will integrate Co-Star's astrology services with its existing image-generation technology.
Midjourney did not disclose the acquisition price or provide additional comments beyond confirming the purchase.
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