Here are the major announcements from today’s Apple Event 2023

Tuesday, September 12, 2023

Apple unveiled several new products today, and our team was on the ground and virtual for it. Catch all the action from the Apple Fall Event 2023, including a quick rundown of everything you need to know about all of the gadgets announced, including:

While we were preparing to take a bite out of Apple, the California Senate voted to ban driverless autonomous trucks. The bill now goes to Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk. Find out whether Newsom is in favor of this bill.

And after months of testing, the TikTok Shop officially launches in the U.S. Also, watch these TikTokers make “Get Ready With Me” videos in Spanish to connect with their roots.

Image Credits: Apple

TC Opinion: Will batteries usher in a new era of global energy sovereignty?

The ongoing transition from fossil fuels can’t come fast enough, but since we can’t build EVs without batteries, developing nations and superpowers alike are moving to protect and secure natural resources like lithium.

“Will electrical energy, and in particular, stored energy in batteries, be subject to the same global economic and geopolitical forces that shaped fossil fuels?” asks Dr. Nadim Maluf, co-founder and CEO at Qnovo.

If you’d like to submit an opinion column to TechCrunch, please read our new editorial guidelines.

Here’s how we raised a Series B for our AI startup during a downturn

“For founders trying to raise a Series B for their AI startups in the next six to 12 months, a more challenging fundraising environment likely awaits,” says Isaac Madan, CEO and co-founder of Nightfall AI.

Last August, his cloud data loss prevention services startup raised a $40 million Series B round when many CEOs were desperately searching for ways to extend their runway.

In a post for TC+, he outlined strategies his team used to find follow-on funding “when AI is everywhere.”

Going well beyond basic best practices, this post includes a list of questions investors are likely to ask, along with detailed advice on go-to-market strategy.

“It’s no secret that AI is the darling of the VC world right now,” says Madan, “but the winds of change are swift.”

TechCrunch+ is our membership program that helps founders and startup teams get ahead of the pack. You can sign up here. Use code “DC” for a 15% discount on an annual subscription.

On the pods

This week’s episode of Found focuses on Jaleh Bisharat, the co-founder and CEO of NakedPoppy, an e-commerce site that helps users find the makeup shades best suited to them and offers a marketplace of clean beauty products.

Bisharat talked about her personal journey toward launching the company after a long career working in marketing for companies such as Amazon and Eventbrite. She also talked about the benefits of launching a company when you are a little older and what it has been like building a company in a space where public perception has changed so much in five years.