Coldplay, kiss cams and cloud data: What does Astronomer actually do?
Astronomer is a tech company that helps large organisations manage and automate their data workflows.
is a tech company that helps large organisations manage and automate their data workflows. It's built around Apache Airflow , a leading open-source orchestration tool.
, a leading open-source orchestration tool. Its main product, Astro, offers a managed, enterprise-ready version of Airflow.
Companies use Astronomer to power real-time AI, analytics, fraud detection, and more.
It became briefly infamous in July 2025 when its CEO was caught on a Kiss Cam with his HR chief at a Coldplay concert—triggering an online ethics storm and a thousand explainers.
The viral moment that made everyone google 'Astronomer'
July 2025. A packed Coldplay concert. Sixty thousand people swaying to Fix You. And then—on the stadium's Kiss Cam—two familiar-looking executives:
, CEO of Astronomer, and Kristin Cabot, his Chief People Officer.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
They don't kiss. But they don't exactly recoil either.
Within hours, the clip had gone viral. Was it an affair? A PR disaster? An HR crisis? But the more mundane—and surprisingly popular—question on Google was:
What is Astronomer, and why is its CEO at a Coldplay concert with HR?
Here's the answer.
What is Astronomer?
Despite its celestial name, Astronomer is not a space company. It's a tech firm that operates in the world of data orchestration.
In other words, it builds the infrastructure that lets large companies move and manage their data in real time—so apps can give you accurate updates, AI models can make smart predictions, and dashboards can tell you what's going wrong.
Astronomer's key product is a cloud-based service called Astro, which simplifies a popular open-source tool named Apache Airflow.
What is Apache Airflow?
Apache Airflow is an open-source system originally built at Airbnb. Think of it as a conductor for all the tasks in a company's data pipeline. For example, if a firm wants to:
Pull user data from an app
Clean and format that data
Run it through an AI model
Send alerts or emails based on the results
Airflow makes sure each step runs in the right order, handles failures, retries automatically, and logs everything.
It's widely used across tech, finance, healthcare, and retail.
Astronomer didn't invent Airflow—but it has become the leading commercial company that packages, manages, and scales it for enterprises.
What does Astronomer offer?
Airflow is free, but running it reliably across a large company is not. That's where Astronomer's platform Astro comes in. It offers:
One-click deployment of Airflow environments
Automatic scaling and cloud management
Built-in observability and error tracking
Enhanced security and governance features
Enterprise support and custom integrations
Companies like Apple, Stripe, Bloomberg and dozens of Fortune 500 firms now use Astronomer to manage their data pipelines.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
Why is this important?
Modern businesses run on data. Whether it's Netflix recommending your next show, a bank flagging fraud, or a health app warning about irregular heart rhythms—data needs to flow, cleanly and reliably.
Astronomer ensures that happens. Without tools like Astro, companies would have to spend millions building in-house systems to handle the same problems. And without clean, well-managed data, AI models produce garbage, apps break, and decision-making falters.
FAQ
Is Astronomer a space tech company?
No. It works with data, not planets. The name is metaphorical—think mapping vast digital universes.
What is data orchestration?
The process of scheduling, coordinating, and automating how data flows between systems—like ETL, but more intelligent and flexible.
What is Astro?
Astro is Astronomer's cloud platform that runs and manages Apache Airflow for enterprises.
What kind of companies use Astronomer?
Tech firms, banks, retailers, media companies, and more—anyone with complex data pipelines.
Why was Astronomer in the news?
Its CEO Andy Byron and HR head Kristin Cabot were seen on the Kiss Cam at a Coldplay concert. The video raised questions about workplace ethics and corporate culture—especially ironic for a company that sells itself on reliability and control.
Bottom line
Astronomer doesn't build rockets, but it helps companies launch and maintain something just as mission-critical: the smooth, timely flow of data. And as AI becomes more ubiquitous, the systems that feed it—quiet, backend tools like Astro—are becoming some of the most important software in the world.
The Coldplay scandal may fade. But Astronomer's role in the AI economy is only growing.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NDTV
7 minutes ago
- NDTV
"Standard Not Met": Astronomer After CEO Resigns Over Coldplay Concert Video
A day after being put on leave, Astronomer Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Andy Byron resigned as he went viral for sharing an intimate moment with a female co-worker at Coldplay's concert in Boston, despite being married. The US tech company made the announcement of his resignation in a LinkedIn post, saying that their "standards were not met recently". "As stated previously, Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding. Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability, and recently, that standard was not met. Andy Byron has tendered his resignation, and the Board of Directors has accepted," Astronomer said. According to the company, they have appointed co-founder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy as the interim CEO while the board searches for Byron's replacement. Astronomer also assured that while their awareness may have changed overnight, their product and work for customers have not. "Before this week, we were known as a pioneer in the DataOps space, helping data teams power everything from modern analytics to production AI. While awareness of our company may have changed overnight, our product and our work for our customers have not. We're continuing to do what we do best: helping our customers with their toughest data and AI problems," it said. Byron was appointed as the CEO of Astronomer in 2023. He came under massive criticism and faced allegations of 'cheating' after Coldplay's Kiss cam segment caught him embracing his HR chief Kristin Cabot - whom he had appointed in November 2024. As the camera moved towards them, the two abruptly parted. While Byron ducked immediately, Cabot tried to hide her face - a move that made them look supposedly guilty. Coldplay's frontman, Chris Martin, reacted to them, saying the couple was "either too shy" or "having an affair". Later, in another follow-up video, he was heard saying, "Oh s**t, I hope we didn't do something bad". Social media users also spotted another woman beside them who initial reports claimed was Alyssa Stoddard, Astronomer's senior director of people. However, the company denied it. "Alyssa Stoddard was not at the event and no other employees were in the video," it said. The backlash was worse as both Byron and Cabot are married to different partners. After the video went viral, Byron's wife, Megan Kerrigan, who serves as an Associate Director of Lower School and Hope Graham Program Admissions at the Bancroft School, dropped her surname from her Facebook profile. She later deactivated her profile.
Time of India
7 minutes ago
- Time of India
After Coldplay affair scandal, ex-employee accuses Andy Byron of ruining careers and cashing out: 'Karma will get to you'
Andy Byron's fall from grace isn't slowing down anytime soon. After going viral for getting too cosy with his HR chief, Kristin Cabot, during a Coldplay concert, the former Astronomer CEO, who recently tendered his resignation, is being called out from yet another direction. While internet sleuths dig into his personal life, a former employee has come forward with damning claims about Byron's business past, painting a much broader picture of manipulation and exploitation. Ex-employee goes off at Andy Byron in a brutal TikTok takedown In a now-viral TikTok, a former employee of Andy Byron spoke out and shared his personal experience. They opened the video by saying, 'If you think his marriage is the only thing Andy Byron ran into the ground, I've got a funny story about karma for you,' revealing a scathing account of his time as an executive at a previous software company. The ex-employee explained that Byron, then serving as chief revenue officer, made bold promises to potential hires. 'He told us we were building the next big thing in tech,' they said. 'He made it sound like we were all getting in on something huge—a no-brainer opportunity. A lot of us joined based on what he said. Some even invested their savings into company stock.' According to the video, Byron painted a glowing picture for both employees and investors, encouraging them to believe in long-term success. But when the company eventually collapsed and was sold off for far less than expected, it was the lower-level employees who took the biggest financial hit. 'He walked away with millions while the rest of us lost tens of thousands,' the former employee said. They also brought up the now-infamous Coldplay concert moment, using it as an example of Byron's persuasive charm. 'The same way he convinced his own Chief People Officer to go to that concert with him—that's how convincing he was with all of us. He knew how to sell a story.' The video ended with a dry, sarcastic sign-off: 'Sometimes that Karma is called Chris Martin of Coldplay. Viva la vida.' Reddit users react to the claims The TikTok quickly made its way to Reddit, where users had mixed reactions. While many Redditors agreed that Andy's career has definitely been suspicious, many added that investing in startups is a risky business to begin with. One user wrote, "Yeah, this whole mess and the recent Titan submersible documentary have really cemented that your average CEO or admin official is there for their sociopathic tendencies. Intelligence is rarely a factor." "I feel for the guy, but we can't depend on karma for this shit; there are plenty of rich arseholes who die of old age in billion-dollar houses and are treated to the best medical care on Earth. We have justice systems to ensure justice in a world without karma or other supernatural means of balancing scales or punishing wrongdoing, and they need to be better," another said. A third person noted, "Okay, the CEO guy sucks as well as his actions here… But why the fuck would you put your life savings into stock options of a company you work for?? Some money, sure… but life savings?" "Eh, this is the same with any stock. I wouldn't call this a scandal," another shared. Andy Byron officially steps down as CEO Just hours after Astronomer confirmed Byron was suspended over the Coldplay incident, a spokesperson announced he has now officially stepped down from his role as CEO. Whether that's the end of the fallout remains to be seen, but with the internet watching and more people speaking up, Andy's professional woes (and personal, of course) seem far from over. To stay updated on the stories that are going viral, follow Indiatimes Trending.
India.com
an hour ago
- India.com
Embattled Astronomer CEO Andy Byron Steps Down After Kiss Cam Chaos At Coldplay
New Delhi: Andy Byron, the CEO of the US tech company Astronomer, has quit his job after video footage showed him in a close, personal moment with a female coworker during a Coldplay concert in Boston. The incident got a lot of attention online and ended up in headlines around the world. The company posted a message on LinkedIn, admitting that their usual standards weren't met. They said, 'Our leaders need to show good behavior and take responsibility, and recently that didn't happen. Andy Byron has resigned, and the Board has accepted it. We'll now begin looking for a new CEO. For now, Co-founder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy will be the interim CEO.' Astronomer also told everyone that although lots more people now know about the company because of this incident, their product and focus on helping customers with data and AI problems haven't changed. This all happened one day after the company put Byron on leave. The Board of Directors started a formal investigation into what happened between Byron and Astronomer's HR chief, Kristin Cabot. Drama During Coldplay Concert The trouble began when Byron and Cabot were caught by the 'Kiss Cam' at the concert. The video showed the two hugging and then quickly pulling apart as they realized the camera was on them—Byron ducked down while Cabot tried to cover her face, which made them look like they were hiding something. Even Coldplay's lead singer Chris Martin joked about it, saying on the microphone that the couple was either very shy or "having an affair." In a follow-up video, he even said, 'Oh s**t, I hope we didn't do something bad.' People on social media also noticed another woman next to them who seemed amused by it all. Some reports said she was Alyssa Stoddard, another Astronomer employee, but the company later said that was wrong: Alyssa wasn't at the concert, and no other company employees were caught in the video. The situation became even more serious because both Byron and Cabot are married to other people. After the video went viral, Byron's wife—Megan Kerrigan, who works at a school—dropped his last name from her Facebook and then deleted her account completely. Byron had only been CEO since 2023 and brought Cabot onto the team in November 2024. He'd earlier posted online about how much she had helped improve the company, but that post has since been deleted.
