The meeting began with a discussion about the etymology and cultural significance of the name “Ukubona LLC,” which led to a conversation about the company’s origins and its focus on STEM education and research. The participants explored the development of a risk calculator for kidney donation and discussed the intersection of artificial intelligence, energy efficiency, and health technology, including potential collaboration opportunities. The conversation ended with discussions about grant applications, onboarding processes for Edward’s internship, and the value of incorporating contemplative practices like walking into professional work environments.
Ukubona shared his experience of registering a company called Ukubona LLC in Virginia and explained the etymology of the name, which is derived from the Zulu word “kubona” meaning “to see.” He discussed how the word has similar meanings across various African languages, including Swahili and Luganda, despite slight variations in pronunciation and spelling. Edward expressed interest in the linguistic connections and suggested that a deeper discussion on the historical origins of these words could be valuable in the future.
Ukubona explained the origins of his company, which was founded to retain a former student who qualified for STEM eligibility and had completed two years of a grant-funded program. The company, which started in March 2024, is currently in its fourth month of operation and has been providing services since June. Ukubona also mentioned that he is defending his PhD thesis in clinical investigations, which is based on a grant running from 2020 to December 2024, and that the company’s ideas are derived from this research.
Ukubona discussed the development of a risk calculator for kidney donation, which personalizes risk assessment using data science and AI tools. He shared his journey of learning data science and using ChatGPT to streamline software development, emphasizing the importance of copying and pasting code into a development environment. Ukubona also explained the background of his company, which was registered to align with his mentee’s degree and to enable hiring in the STEM field, with a future goal of financial success.
Ukubona discussed the importance of computing power in the context of artificial intelligence and its applications in health tech, highlighting the need for cloud services as computational demands increase. Edward shared his background in energy and environmental management, noting his limited experience with coding and simulations, and expressed interest in the project despite the need to develop new skills. They explored potential opportunities for collaboration, including access to training grants and the company’s expansion into energy research, while Edward acknowledged the long-term benefits of the project despite immediate challenges.
Edward and Ukubona discussed the intersection of energy efficiency and health tech, focusing on how AI can optimize energy use in buildings. They explored the need for energy efficiency due to limited supply and increasing demand. Ukubona shared updates on a draft document and outlined the eligibility requirements for a grant, including the need for specific degree codes and paid internships. They also discussed the likelihood of success for the grant application, with Ukubona suggesting ways to estimate probabilities based on past applicants.
Ukubona discussed the correlation between artificial intelligence and energy demand, emphasizing that as intelligence scales, so does the energy required for computation. He clarified that the focus is on supply-demand economics rather than environmental values, explaining that the energy needs for AI and simulations are driven by the need for future-focused decision-making and consequence analysis. Ukubona also highlighted the relevance of video game technology to AI development and the massive investments being made in AI infrastructure, concluding that quantifying energy demand should be the first step before considering clean energy goals.
Ukubona discussed a plan involving grant applications and potential PhD opportunities, explaining the timelines and financial aspects involved. They emphasized the importance of PhD applications, which typically occur in November or December, and offered support for the application process. Edward expressed interest in the proposal and agreed to review the updated document Ukubona would send, clarifying any questions or concerns.
Edward discussed his current situation of seeking employment opportunities while on OPT (Optional Practical Training) authorization, which expires in June 2026. He explained that he needs to find a volunteer or paid internship that would count towards the 12-month STEM extension, requiring at least 20 hours per week. Ukubona offered to help by providing a role that would be DHS and school-approved, mentioning that the company is e-verified and can offer a position that aligns with Edward’s major. They agreed to further discuss the details of the role and the necessary documentation, including the I-9 form and DHS verification.
Ukubona and Edward discussed onboarding Edward to a remote internship, focusing on setting up access to the company’s infrastructure and software tools like GitHub. They agreed to start with a one-year OPT (Optional Practical Training) project, which Edward will review and provide feedback on. Ukubona emphasized the importance of breaking down the project into small, manageable goals and clarified that the work involves analyzing data and supporting decision-making, with potential environmental implications to be explored later. They planned to refine the onboarding process and discuss further steps in the coming weeks.
Edward and Ukubona discussed the benefits of slow walking as a form of exercise and contemplation, with Ukubona sharing how he has used walking to generate ideas and solve problems. They explored the concept of viewing exercise as billable work hours and the importance of taking time to think and connect ideas. Ukubona also mentioned his experience with grant applications and the value of seeing connections between different fields of medicine.
🔥 What a contrast day for you, Pyromancer — building Ukubona’s investor deck and live-testing the digital twin pitch, while The Economist drops a cover story about Nvidia hitting its own “energy wall.”
Here’s the through-line:
👉 In short, you’ve shipped an interactive investor deck as product — something investors can play with rather than just read.
But: energy costs are the bottleneck.
👉 In short, the biggest tech story of 2025 is that energy is the rate-limiter of intelligence.
Ukubona is already saying the same thing Nvidia now illustrates at planetary scale:
“Clarity costs energy and money; we make those trade-offs visible and investable.”
⚡ So what’s achieved today (Aug 30, 2025, 2:05pm EST)?
Would you like me to mock up a 1-slide investor comparison — left side “Ukubona clarity costs” vs right side “Nvidia’s short-circuit” — so you can drop it straight into the Got it — here’s the original Economist article (Aug 30, 2025), rendered cleanly in Markdown so you can copy-paste:
How a power shortage could short-circuit Nvidia’s rise The Economist, August 30th 2025 (Business | Schumpeter)
On August 27th Nvidia performed what has become a quarterly ritual beating of expectations. Analysts forecast that the chipmaker would sell $46bn-worth of semiconductors in the three months to July. It made closer to $47bn. Its latest Blackwell graphics-processing units (GPUs), whose unrivalled number-crunching prowess has won over artificial-intelligence modellers, are flying off the shelves. So are its GB-series AI superchips, which combine two Blackwells with a general-purpose processor. Nvidia probably sold over 600,000 Blackwells and nearly as many GBs, nearly 20% more than last quarter, accounting for almost 60% of total revenue. It is on track to sell 2.7m and 2.4m, respectively, this year.
Nvidia bulls on Wall Street now reckon that America’s chip champion could be worth $5trn before long, having become the world’s first $4trn company only in July. It looks, in the words of many a breathless commentator, unstoppable. And yet fittingly for an unstoppable force, Nvidia is about to come up against an immovable object. Or at least an object that has not moved much in decades—America’s power grid.
Energy has not historically been a constraint on computing. Even as rocketing internet traffic increased the workloads of the world’s data centres nine-fold between 2010 and 2020, their overall power use stayed completely flat. Every generation of chips was more efficient than the last. AI has turned this trend on its head.
Racks contain dozens of them. Nvidia sells modules packed with 36 GB superchips (72 Blackwells + CPUs), designed to operate at 132kW. A secondary cooling system can add 160kW per rack.
Between February 2024 and February 2026 Nvidia will have sold some 6m Blackwells and 5.5m GBs. Assume half end up in America. If installed and operated at capacity, those chips would raise American power demand by 25 gigawatts (GW) — nearly double all new US utility-scale capacity added in 2022, and close to the 27GW in 2023. And that’s before Rubin (next-gen) chips, AMD rivals, or EVs are factored in.
A global survey of data-centre managers by Schneider Electric found that power and transmission capacity is their #1 concern — more than access to GPUs themselves.
Neither scenario is priced into current valuations. Investors assume utilities will rise to the challenge.
The sector is stirring:
Meanwhile, equipment makers have cut investment by 3% annually since 2022. Tariffs could make gear pricier. Utilities remain dividend-heavy: $87bn paid since 2023 instead of reinvesting. And as regulated monopolies, higher spending means higher bills — politically toxic.
Some hyperscalers are hedging:
But the grid still supplies nearly all US electricity. Without its expansion, Nvidia’s epic surge will sooner or later power down.
This article appeared in the Business section of the print edition under the headline “Nvidia’s big short circuit”