Derek Fulton, a 31-year-old former Nvidia software engineer, has launched Carolina Cloud, a new cloud computing startup based in North Carolina, alongside his wife Alice. The company, which is family-owned and bootstrapped with an initial investment of about $20,000, offers on-demand, high-performance computing with a focus on CPU-based infrastructure rather than GPUs. Fulton’s journey into tech began at age 11 with his first MacBook, where he developed a passion for problem-solving and building things—from potato cannons to drones. After college, he worked in data science at a European bank and later as a quantitative analyst in mortgage investments at a hedge fund. When a college friend posted about a software engineering role at Nvidia, Fulton applied, drawn by the chance to work on software as a final product rather than just an internal tool. At Nvidia, he initially felt challenged and engaged. But over time, he grew frustrated with the top-down management style, rigid project assignments, and lack of opportunities to learn new areas. He also noted pay disparities between newer and more senior employees, which affected team dynamics. Though his compensation was in the low six figures, he didn’t see it as life-changing, especially given the cost of living in the Raleigh-Durham area, where he and his wife are both financially disciplined. Fulton had long dreamed of founding his own company by age 30 and being present for his children’s lives. Quitting Nvidia allowed him to reclaim control of his time and reconnect with his love for technology. Since launching Carolina Cloud, he’s noticed significant improvements in his mental health—sleeping better, engaging more with people, and rediscovering spontaneity in daily life. Carolina Cloud differentiates itself from major cloud providers by offering lower pricing, no egress fees, and personalized support. The company targets high-performance computing needs, with early customers including hedge funds and genomics firms in the Research Triangle region. While GPUs are popular in AI workloads, Fulton believes CPUs remain essential—offering reliability, lower power consumption, and longer lifespans at a lower cost. Though the startup is still in its early stages, early demand has been encouraging. Fulton set a personal benchmark: if the company wasn’t profitable within 18 months, he’d consider returning to a traditional job. But so far, progress has met expectations, and he’s confident Carolina Cloud can sustain itself.