SiCortex is shutting down

SiCortex Inc. of Maynard, a maker of energy-efficient supercomputers, has halted operations, according to an executive at the company.

Privately-held SiCortex produced small and mid-sized supercomputers priced from $20,000 to $2 million. As of January, SiCortex employed 79 workers. The privately-held company was founded in 2004 by former executives of Digital Equipment Corp., Intel Corp., and Thinking Machines Corp., and has received venture funding from Flagship Ventures, Polaris Venture Partners, and Prism VentureWorks.

The company sold 60 machines last year, according to a January Globe interview with chief executive Christopher Stone. Its customers include the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston University, NASA, and General Electric Co.

In April, SiCortex reported 100 percent revenue growth during the first quarter of 2009, and an increase of 122 percent in total order bookings during the period.

A January story in the Globe included a video of SiCortex chief executive Christopher Stone talking about designing high performance computers. To read that story or view that video, please click here.
(By Hiawatha Bray, Globe staff)