Lemberg Solutions vs DE Design Works: full comparison for 2026
Quick verdict
Lemberg Solutions (4.9/5) edges ahead of DE Design Works (4.4/5) overall. Lemberg Solutions is the better choice for RTOS firmware needing secure boot and direct chip-vendor partnerships. DE Design Works is the stronger option for industrial and medical products needing PCB design with firmware. The right choice depends on your project size, budget, and required tech stack.
Lemberg Solutions vs DE Design Works: head-to-head summary
| Criterion | Lemberg Solutions | DE Design Works |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2007 | 2002 |
| HQ | Lviv, Ukraine (offices in Hamburg, Germany; London, UK; Kraków, Poland) | Chesterfield, Missouri, USA |
| Team size | 200+ | 11–50 |
| Rating | 4.9 / 5 | 4.4 / 5 |
| Primary differentiator | Direct NXP, STMicroelectronics, and Microchip partnerships paired with an in-house hardware lab for board bring-up and HIL testing | Pairs custom PCB hardware design with firmware development for industrial, medical, and military clients |
| Pricing model | Firmware consulting, design-phase engagement, full development lifecycle, or team extension/staff augmentation | Contract electronics and firmware design |
| Min. engagement | Not published | Not published |
| Primary tech stack | FreeRTOS, Zephyr, Azure RTOS | Embedded C, PCB design tools, IoT connectivity modules |
| Industries served | Healthcare (FDA/HIPAA/IEC 62304), Energy (battery management, EV charging), Transportation & Logistics, Manufacturing & Industrial IoT, Consumer Electronics, Automotive | Industrial, Medical, Military |
Lemberg Solutions vs DE Design Works: overview
Lemberg Solutions
Lemberg Solutions is an engineering firm founded in 2007 and headquartered in Lviv, Ukraine, with additional offices in Hamburg, Germany, London, United Kingdom, and Kraków, Poland. The 200+ person team builds RTOS and bare-metal firmware on FreeRTOS, Zephyr, and Azure RTOS, alongside secure boot, OTA update pipelines, and MISRA-aware testing for regulated clients. It holds direct partnerships with NXP, STMicroelectronics, and Microchip as primary semiconductor partners, plus an in-house lab with oscilloscopes and hardware-in-the-loop testing for board bring-up. Public case studies include a KONVOI truck security firmware audit and a Caltech medical device port to STM32, and the company holds ISO 9001, ISO 27001, and ISO 13485 certifications with full IP transfer to the client on delivery.
DE Design Works
DE Design Works was founded in 2002 and is based in Chesterfield, Missouri, with a team in the 11 to 50 employee range. The firm pairs custom PCB hardware design with embedded firmware development for industrial, medical, and military clients, which reduces handoff friction on projects where hardware and firmware need to be co-designed rather than contracted separately. Public case studies and named clients are limited, so most specific claims beyond the company's core services rely on its own materials.
Services and capabilities: Lemberg Solutions vs DE Design Works
| Capability | Lemberg Solutions | DE Design Works |
|---|---|---|
| RTOS firmware development | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bare-metal & driver development | ✓ | ✗ |
| Secure boot / OTA firmware updates | ✓ | ✗ |
| MCU & platform migration | ✓ | ✗ |
| Connectivity & IoT protocols | ✓ | ✓ |
| Functional safety / MISRA compliance | ✓ | ✗ |
| Embedded AI / on-device inference | ✓ | ✗ |
| Firmware GUI development | ✓ | ✗ |
| Staff augmentation | ✓ | ✗ |
Tech stack comparison: Lemberg Solutions vs DE Design Works
| Framework / platform | Lemberg Solutions | DE Design Works |
|---|---|---|
| FreeRTOS | ✓ | N/A |
| Zephyr | ✓ | N/A |
| STM32 | ✓ | N/A |
| ARM Cortex-M | ✓ | N/A |
| BLE | N/A | N/A |
| Embedded Linux | ✓ | N/A |
| Secure OTA | N/A | N/A |
| PCB | N/A | ✓ |
| AWS IoT | ✓ | N/A |
| RISC-V | ✓ | N/A |
Pricing comparison: Lemberg Solutions vs DE Design Works
| Criterion | Lemberg Solutions | DE Design Works |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum engagement | Not published | Not published |
| Engagement models | Firmware consulting, Design-phase engagement, Full development lifecycle, Staff augmentation | Fixed project |
| Rate transparency | Not public | Not public |
| Price tier | Mid-market | Mid-market |
Target audience comparison: Lemberg Solutions vs DE Design Works
| Dimension | Lemberg Solutions | DE Design Works |
|---|---|---|
| Best company size | Startup to mid-market | Startup to mid-market |
| Best industries | Healthcare (FDA/HIPAA/IEC 62304), Energy (battery management, EV charging), Transportation & Logistics | Industrial, Medical, Military |
| Best use cases | Security audit of an existing firmware codebase ahead of a compliance deadline, Secure OTA update pipeline for a fleet of connected industrial devices | Custom PCB and firmware bring-up for an industrial controller, Military-spec device requiring both hardware design and embedded firmware |
| Typical project type | Firmware consulting | Fixed project |
Lemberg Solutions vs DE Design Works: pros and cons
| Lemberg Solutions | |
|---|---|
| + | Direct partnerships with NXP, STMicroelectronics, and Microchip back up semiconductor-level claims instead of a generic all-chips pitch |
| + | In-house lab with oscilloscopes, evaluation kits, and HIL testing capability covers board bring-up work most pure-firmware vendors outsource |
| + | ISO 27001, ISO 9001, and ISO 13485 certifications plus MISRA-aware testing suit regulated industrial and medical firmware |
| + | Full intellectual property and source code rights transfer to the client on every engagement |
| + | Named case studies span automotive security auditing, medical device porting, and industrial telemetry rather than one vertical |
| - | Does not manufacture finished devices or handle mass production in-house |
| - | Does not obtain product regulatory certification on the client's behalf; the client or a third party owns that process |
| - | Minimum engagement size is not published, so budget fit requires a direct conversation |
| DE Design Works | |
|---|---|
| + | PCB hardware and firmware handled by the same team reduces handoff friction on co-design projects |
| + | Military and medical client base suggests comfort with stricter documentation requirements |
| + | Two decades of operating history under one ownership structure |
| - | Team of 11 to 50 people limits how many programs can run in parallel |
| - | Public case studies and named clients are limited, so most claims rely on the company's own site |
Who should choose Lemberg Solutions?
A typical fit: security audit of an existing firmware codebase ahead of a compliance deadline.
Direct NXP, STMicroelectronics, and Microchip partnerships paired with an in-house hardware lab for board bring-up and HIL testing. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed. Works best with clients in Healthcare (FDA/HIPAA/IEC 62304), Energy (battery management, EV charging), Transportation & Logistics, Manufacturing & Industrial IoT, Consumer Electronics, Automotive.
Who should choose DE Design Works?
A typical fit: custom PCB and firmware bring-up for an industrial controller.
Pairs custom PCB hardware design with firmware development for industrial, medical, and military clients. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed. Works best with clients in Industrial, Medical, Military.
Decision matrix: Lemberg Solutions vs DE Design Works
| Your situation | Recommended choice |
|---|---|
| You need full-ownership delivery on a defined project scope | DE Design Works |
| You need a large dedicated team for an ongoing programme | Check each company's engagement model |
| Your budget is at the lower end | Compare: Lemberg Solutions (Not published) vs DE Design Works (Not published) |
| You need specialist depth in a specific vertical | Lemberg Solutions |
| You need staff augmentation or team extension | Lemberg Solutions |
| You need consulting before committing to a build | Lemberg Solutions |
Use case fit: Lemberg Solutions vs DE Design Works
| Use case | Lemberg Solutions fit | DE Design Works fit | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security audit of an existing firmware codebase ahead of a compliance deadline | Strong | Limited | Lemberg Solutions |
| Secure OTA update pipeline for a fleet of connected industrial devices | Strong | Limited | Lemberg Solutions |
| Custom PCB and firmware bring-up for an industrial controller | Limited | Strong | DE Design Works |
| Military-spec device requiring both hardware design and embedded firmware | Limited | Strong | DE Design Works |
| Fixed-price build | Limited | Limited | Both equally |
| Staff augmentation | Limited | Limited | Both equally |
Verdict: Lemberg Solutions vs DE Design Works
Lemberg Solutions (4.9/5) is the stronger overall choice for most Firmware Development projects. Direct NXP, STMicroelectronics, and Microchip partnerships paired with an in-house hardware lab for board bring-up and HIL testing.
DE Design Works (4.4/5) is worth a look if you need military-spec device requiring both hardware design and embedded firmware. If your situation matches that, DE Design Works is a competitive option.
Related comparisons
Lemberg Solutions vs DE Design Works FAQ
Is Lemberg Solutions better than DE Design Works?
Lemberg Solutions (4.9/5) scores higher overall, but "better" depends on your use case. Lemberg Solutions's strongest advantage: direct partnerships with NXP, STMicroelectronics, and Microchip back up semiconductor-level claims instead of a generic all-chips pitch. DE Design Works's strongest advantage: PCB hardware and firmware handled by the same team reduces handoff friction on co-design projects.
How do Lemberg Solutions and DE Design Works differ in pricing?
Lemberg Solutions uses firmware consulting, design-phase engagement, full development lifecycle, or team extension/staff augmentation pricing. DE Design Works uses contract electronics and firmware design pricing. Neither firm publishes a full rate card; a discovery call is required for project-specific quotes.
Which is better for enterprise: Lemberg Solutions or DE Design Works?
DE Design Works is the larger team and typically the better enterprise-scale choice. For very large programmes, verify team size and compliance coverage directly with each company before shortlisting.
What are the main differences between Lemberg Solutions and DE Design Works?
Lemberg Solutions's primary differentiator is: direct NXP, STMicroelectronics, and Microchip partnerships paired with an in-house hardware lab for board bring-up and HIL testing. DE Design Works's primary differentiator is: pairs custom PCB hardware design with firmware development for industrial, medical, and military clients. They also differ in team size (200+ vs 11–50), minimum engagement (Not published vs Not published), and primary industries served (Healthcare (FDA/HIPAA/IEC 62304), Energy (battery management, EV charging) vs Industrial, Medical).
Verify all details directly with each company before making a decision.