Meta is deepening its push into generative AI by striking a partnership with Midjourney, the independent startup best known for its distinctive AI image models. Meta Chief AI Officer Alexandr Wang announced the agreement Friday on Threads, saying Meta will license Midjourney’s technology and collaborate with its research teams to bring image and video generation tools into future Meta products.
“For Meta to deliver the best possible products, it requires an all-of-the-above approach,” Wang wrote, pointing to the company’s mix of in-house research, outside partnerships, and massive investments in computing infrastructure.
The deal positions Meta to compete more directly with leading AI models such as OpenAI’s Sora, Google’s Veo, and Black Forest Lab’s Flux. Meta already offers its own tools, including Imagine for image creation and Movie Gen for video generation, integrated into platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger. But Midjourney’s reputation for stylistically rich and realistic outputs could give Meta a stronger creative edge as it seeks to differentiate its ecosystem of apps.
Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Midjourney CEO David Holz emphasized on X that the company remains independent with no outside investors, a rarity among top AI labs. Reports suggest Meta at one point explored acquiring Midjourney outright, but the startup opted to remain autonomous. Founded in 2022, Midjourney quickly became a standout in the generative AI space, reaching an estimated $200 million in revenue by 2023 through a subscription model ranging from $10 to $120 per month. In June, it expanded into video with its first model, V1.
Meta’s pursuit of Midjourney is part of a broader spree of AI-related deals and hires. Earlier this year, CEO Mark Zuckerberg lured researchers with compensation packages reportedly worth over $100 million, invested $14 billion in Scale AI, and acquired Play AI, a voice startup. The company also held talks with other labs and even considered joining Elon Musk’s failed $97 billion takeover bid for OpenAI.
The timing of the Midjourney partnership is complicated by ongoing copyright lawsuits. Disney and Universal sued the startup in June, alleging it trained on copyrighted works without permission. Meta faces similar legal challenges over its own AI models. So far, U.S. courts have largely sided with tech companies in cases involving AI training data, but the legal landscape remains unsettled.
By aligning with Midjourney, Meta is betting that the startup’s creative strengths outweigh the risks. If integrated smoothly, Midjourney’s models could power the next generation of AI-driven tools on Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp, strengthening Meta’s position against rivals in a race where aesthetics and usability matter as much as technical capability.
