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- Apple’s $500B power move
Good morning, tech enthusiasts. Apple just announced its largest-ever investment in the U.S., committing more than $500 billion to areas like high-end manufacturing, engineering, and education.
The move builds on the company's long history of investing in American innovation and is seen by many as an effort to reduce reliance on foreign ecosystems—aligning with the country’s broader push to boost domestic production and businesses.
What do you think?
In today’s tech rundown:
Apple’s $500B U.S. investment
Substack’s play to be the new TikTok
Space bioprinter creating medical implants
EV battery boom in the U.S.
Quick hits on other major news
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
APPLE
Image source: Ideogram/The Rundown
The Rundown: As the Trump administration weighs new tariffs on China, Apple has announced plans to invest $500 billion in the U.S. over the next four years, including the addition of 20,000 new hires to its workforce.
The details:
Apple will open a 250,000-sq ft server facility in Houston, slated to begin operations in 2026, with plans to expand to other states and hire thousands.
The new jobs will mostly focus on research and development, silicon engineering, AI, and machine learning, the company said.
Apple said the investment will also boost its chip manufacturing efforts in the U.S., as well as skills development programs for students and workers.
The move came shortly after CEO Tim Cook met with President Trump, who recently imposed a 10% tariff on goods imported from China.
Why it matters: Questions remain about Apple’s motivations in announcing the investment—whether to shield itself from tariffs or to signal an America-first stance to the Trump administration. Other tech companies are also investing billions in the U.S., including OpenAI, Microsoft, SoftBank, and Oracle through the $500B Stargate project.
SUBSTACK
Image source: Ideogram/The Rundown
The Rundown: As TikTok’s future in the U.S. remains unclear, Substack is luring creators with new tools to publish videos directly from its platform and monetize them at the same time.
The details:
Substack says creators can now publish video posts from its app and earn a living when users subscribe to their content.
When the content is published, creators can also track video performance, including views, new subscribers, and estimated subscription revenue growth.
Currently, videos are entirely paywalled, but Substack plans to add a preview feature allowing free subscribers to watch teasers before deciding to pay.
Substack says its highest-earning creators use both audio and video, which grows their revenue 2.5 times faster than those who don't use these formats.
Why it matters: With a potential ban looming over TikTok, Substack is positioning itself as a replacement that would give creators a space to monetize their content, without reliance on algorithms or ads. But, with a smaller reach than TikTok and players like YouTube and Instagram in the game, it won’t be an easy play for the company.
AUXILIUM BIOTECHNOLOGIES
Image source: Auxilium Biotechnologies
The Rundown: U.S. biotech company Auxilium Biotechnologies just sent its 3D bioprinter into space to print delicate medical implants, including those incorporating biological materials, to help patients suffering from nerve injuries.
The details:
The microgravity of space offers advantages for bioprinting and can help create intricate structures that would otherwise collapse on Earth.
Auxilium deployed its AMP-1, described as the most advanced 3D-printing platform ever sent to space, recently on the International Space Station.
The lightweight printer is capable of creating eight implantable medical devices simultaneously in just two hours.
The company is currently developing these implants for peripheral nerve repair, with ultimate plans to deliver medical care during deep space missions.
Why it matters: Auxilium’s bioprinter requires a minute of an astronaut’s time for each printing session – which highlights the economic potential of space-based manufacturing. With SpaceX building Starship for Mars and NASA planning Artemis for the Moon, this device could pave the way for enhanced medical care in space.
COMPANY
Image source: Ideogram/The Rundown
The Rundown: The U.S. electric vehicle industry is about to get a huge boost with 10 new battery production plants expected to go online this year in the country, increasing capacity by 90% over the last year.
The details:
The new plants include facilities from Panasonic, LG, Samsung, and SK On, as well as automakers Ford, Honda, Hyundai, and Stellantis.
If all plants open as planned, the U.S. EV battery manufacturing capacity is expected to grow to 421.5 gigawatt-hours per year.
Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Nevada are among the states benefitting from huge investments and new jobs.
By 2028, U.S. battery plants are projected to produce 1,083 gigawatt hours of EV batteries annually, enough to power more than 12 million new EVs.
Why it matters: China still dominates global battery production, but North America is now becoming the world’s fastest-growing region for planned cell capacity. Of course, the future of these factories is still far from certain as the Trump administration’s plans to cancel EV tax credits and impose stricter tariffs could impact the demand.
QUICK HITS
📰 Everything else in tech today
Google DeepMind just announced that it is launching a free version of Gemini Code Assist for developers to “generate, explain and improve code.”
TikTok owner ByteDance is now valued at more than $400 billion in a sharp rebound despite a U.S. shutdown.
AI startup Anthropic is seeking $3.5 billion in a funding round that would value the company at a massive $61.5 billion.
Nothing unveiled its new AI-powered Nothing Phone (3a), featuring an unboxing video by 1X’s recently debuted NEO Gamma humanoid.
Google confirmed that Gmail is replacing SMS code authentication with more secure QR codes.
France-based Mistral said its AI assistant, Le Chat, has reached 1 million downloads just two weeks after its initial release.
Apple is reportedly testing its next-gen C2 modem for future iPhone models after recently launching the iPhone 16e with its first self-developed C1 modem chip.
Level Zero Health received around $6.5 million for a new health monitor that uses first-of-a-kind sensors to continually track hormone levels for maintaining health.
Tesla is rolling out a major software update in China that will provide Full Self-Driving features similar to those available in the U.S.
Amazon MGM Studios has paid $1 billion in a new joint venture to own the intellectual property rights to the James Bond franchise, giving Amazon full creative control.
Fyre Festival is back, slated to take place in Isla Mujeres, Mexico, from May 30 to June 2, with tickets ranging from $1,400 to $1.1M.
A US court has upheld the conviction of Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes for defrauding investors while running her blood-testing startup, once valued at $9 billion.
COMMUNITY
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See you soon,
Rowan, Jennifer, and Joey—The Rundown’s editorial team
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