Supercomputer-Maker SiCortex Shuts Its Doors
Another one bites the dust, as they say. Though we can only imagine the demand for supercomputers is on the rise as more and more companies, institutions and universities look to crunch massive quantities of data, there's apparently no room for SiCortex. The company, which angled itself as a different kind of supercomputer creator, has reportedly halted operations over the weekend according to an executive at the company. Further details aren't being provided right now, but it's widely assumed that the company simply ran out of cash.
Unlike most of its rivals, SiCortex was in the business of making "green" supercomputers that were generally much more energy-efficient than available alternatives. Steve Conway, a high-performance computing analyst at IDC Corp, had this to say: "From what I understand, the investors decided to call it quits. Investors right now are impatient, more so than they were before the recession hit."
Sad as is it to see, things must keep moving forward. To that end, Gerbsman Partners has been chosen to sell of the outfit's remaining assets, which includes its intellectual property. In other words, we suspect there's still a chance that SiCortex's efforts won't totally be in vain, as a rival or another upstart could bid on this material in order to pick up where it left off. The company had been making small and midsize supercomputers priced from $20,000 to $2 million, and as of the first month of this year, it employed some 79 people. To date, it had received $52 million in funding from various sources, but obviously it couldn't pull things together in time for another round.
Unlike most of its rivals, SiCortex was in the business of making "green" supercomputers that were generally much more energy-efficient than available alternatives. Steve Conway, a high-performance computing analyst at IDC Corp, had this to say: "From what I understand, the investors decided to call it quits. Investors right now are impatient, more so than they were before the recession hit."
Sad as is it to see, things must keep moving forward. To that end, Gerbsman Partners has been chosen to sell of the outfit's remaining assets, which includes its intellectual property. In other words, we suspect there's still a chance that SiCortex's efforts won't totally be in vain, as a rival or another upstart could bid on this material in order to pick up where it left off. The company had been making small and midsize supercomputers priced from $20,000 to $2 million, and as of the first month of this year, it employed some 79 people. To date, it had received $52 million in funding from various sources, but obviously it couldn't pull things together in time for another round.
