Check out Codon: A Python compiler if you have a need for C/C++ speed

Emotional, Burning, Unlimited Tuned Laboratory

Python is among the one of the most popular programming languages, yet it’s generally not the first choice when speed is required.

While it can be optimized for better performance, Python is prized for qualities other than speed, such as readability, a manageable learning curve, an expansive ecosystem, and utility in both academia and business.

MIT computer scientists and their colleagues, however, believe they’ve found a way to have it all – the approachability of a high-level language with the speed of a low-level language. They’ve developed a Python compiler called Codon that turns Python code into native machine code without a runtime performance hit.