David Wagner

About David Wagner

AI’s ability to scale is no longer limited by models or intelligence.It is limited by energy—by how much power infrastructure consumes, how efficiently it runs, and what it costs to operate at scale.ZON exists to solve that problem.ZON installs agentic software inside data centers that continuously optimizes server behavior, cutting energy consumption by ~20%+ while keeping all data local and secure. This allows AI workloads to grow without requiring proportional increases in power, hardware, or operating cost.ZON operates at the infrastructure layer, where energy draw, utilization, cooling, and system efficiency determine whether AI is economically viable.At a high level, the system runs as a closed loop inside the customer’s environment: • Server-level agents observe real-time workload and utilization • A secure, in-network orchestrator coordinates optimization decisions • Hardware settings are autonomously adjusted to balance energy efficiency and performanceNothing leaves the network. No external access. Optimization runs continuously.At ZON, we are building AI infrastructure to solve the constraint that will ultimately limit AI at scale: energy.My role is to ensure ZON’s technical advantage converts into durable economics—aligning performance, capital, and long-term value for customers, partners, and investors.This is how AI moves from experimentation to infrastructure as it becomes the backbone of everything humanity builds next.

Experience

1. Chief Financial Officer

   Zon

   Jul 2025 — Present · New York, NY, US

   Translating ZON’s energy optimization into clear, scalable unit economicsShaping how the industry understands what truly limits AI scale: energy efficiency, infrastructure performance, and cost at scaleBuilding the financial and operating foundation that supports AI systems at data-center and enterprise scale

Education

• Case Western Reserve University

  BA, Economics

  1980 — 1984

• NYU Stern School of Business

  MBA, Finance

  1987 — 1989