Qimonda, the German ­computer chipmaker,on Monday warned it might run out of money early next year if it failed to secure help from one of a number of potential investors with which it is negotiating different forms of partnership.

However, the company, which employs 13,500 people worldwide, said it was “making progress” in talks with possible strategic and financial backers and that executives believed it would be able to announce a deal “in the next few weeks”.