Palm Inc. (PALM) has put itself up for sale. The company is working with Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Frank Quattrone’s Qatalyst Partners to find a buyer, said the people, who declined to be identified because the sale isn’t public. Taiwan’s HTC Corp. and China’s Lenovo Group Ltd. have looked at the company and may make offers, said the people.

The company has been battered by week sales of it’s Palm Pre and Pixi models. Chief Executive Officer Jon Rubinstein, who developed Palm’s latest operating system, was counting on the devices to attract customers and restore its status as an industry pioneer. The Pre was Palm’s first phone based on the WebOS operating system. It debuted in June 2009, followed by the smaller, cheaper Pixi in November.

Chen Hui-Ming, the chief financial officer of HTC, declined to confirm or deny the company’s interest in Palm. Dell Inc. also looked at Palm, though it decided against an offer, according to two of the people. Wong Wai Ming, finance chief at Lenovo, also declined to comment on the company’s acquisition plans.

Shares of Palm Inc. closed at $5.16 up almost 11% at the close of business on Friday.

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