You're reading: Cloud computing startup brings virtual computers to internet

Such is the speed of advances in software technologies, the latest processor- and memory-hungry applications can be tough to run on a computer that’s more than a couple of years old.

But what if, rather than ditching their old computer and buying a new one, people had the option of connecting over the web to a powerful virtual computer running on super-fast, state-of-the-art servers, one that would take over the processing legwork from their tired old PC, and allow them to run programs their own machine just couldn’t hack?

Enter the new Ukrainian startup Sixa, which has created a service that does exactly that. Via Sixa, users can hook up over the internet to a powerful virtual PC from their own computer, laptop, netbook, tablet, smartphone, or practically any device connected to the web.

Sixa’s head of business development, Kateryna Kondrunina, says the new service could be a real breakthrough in computer engineering, and one that could pose hardware developers a problem.

“With this solution, people can forget about constant hardware upgrades and other continual limitations,” Kondrunina said in a Skype interview with the Kyiv Post. “It allows the elimination of limitations. Our global goal is to make virtual technologies available to anyone.”

Sixa offers custom virtual computers for developers, designers, and gamers, each one coming with preinstalled software for specific user needs. For instance, when developers load their virtual computer, they have immediate access to GIT, Atom, Dropbox, and other essential programming applications.

There are three subscription models aimed specifically at these three groups: developers, designers and gamers. Subscriptions can be either monthly or hourly. Monthly subscriptions cost from $49-59, while an hourly one starts from 29 cents.

In order to provide its services, the company uses a readymade cloud platform from Amazon Web Services Inc., a subsidiary of Amazon.com, Inc.

Launched in spring 2015, the concept has already caught the attention of two powerful business accelerators — international Startupbootcamp and Y Combinator in the United States, dubbed “the world’s most powerful startup incubator.”

Startupbootcamp, along with WS Investments, pumped $140,000 into the project’s equity after the Sixa team took part in an accelerator program at Startupbootcamp’s Istanbul branch at the end of 2015. Y Combinator is to invest an additional $120,000.

Sixa was founded by Ukrainians Mykola Minchenko, 35, and Ievgen Nechaiev, 43, who are now respectively the chief executive officer and chief technical officer of the startup. The company is currently headquartered in San Francisco, and consists of 10 key staff members located all over the world.

Kyiv Post staff writer Denys Krasnikov can be reached at [email protected]. The Kyiv Post’s IT coverage is sponsored by Beetroot, Ciklum, Steltec Capital, 1World Online and SoftServe. The content is independent of the donors.