The rash of new scientific supercomputer companies that were formed in the early 1980s has led to indigestion among venture capitalists, and the newest arrivals are finding it increasingly difficult to find the funds they need to reach viability. The assets of Culler Scientific have disappeared into Saxpy, and now, reports Computer Systems News, CHoPP Computer Corp has completed the rounds of venture capital firms without success, and is looking for corporate investors. The shortage of cash will likely delay the introduction of the CHoPP 1 scientific supercomputer by nearly a year. CHoPP needs $10m to $20m, and although the company declines to say whether it is in talks with possible investors, observers suggest that Japanese companies or defence contractors might be interested in investing in the San Diego company. The cash crunch has forced CHoPP to lay off all but eight of its employees – it had 35 as recently as August. The CHoPP 1 is a Unix machine designed to offer between 10 and 100 times the performance of the Cray 1. CHoPP, originally incorporated in Vancouver, British Columbia and quoted on the stock exchange there, merged with Sullivan Computer and moved south (CI No 403). CHoPP stands for Columbia Homogeneous Parallel Processor.
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