Lemberg Solutions vs DE Design Works: full comparison for 2026
Quick verdict
Lemberg Solutions (4.8/5) edges ahead of DE Design Works (4.3/5) overall. Lemberg Solutions is the better choice for RFPs needing hardware and firmware scoped under one vendor. DE Design Works is the stronger option for rugged industrial, medical, or military RFPs needing PCB plus 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, MO, USA |
| Team size | 200+ | 11–50 |
| Rating | 4.8 / 5 | 4.3 / 5 |
| Primary differentiator | In-house hardware lab plus NXP, STMicroelectronics, and Microchip partner status covers both the board bring-up and firmware line items in a single SOW | 23 years of combined PCB, hardware, and firmware design specifically for rugged industrial, medical, and military applications |
| Pricing model | Firmware consulting, design-phase engagement, full development lifecycle, or staff augmentation | Project-based electronics and firmware engagements |
| Min. engagement | Not published | Not published |
| Primary tech stack | FreeRTOS, Zephyr, Azure RTOS | C, C++, Embedded Linux |
| Industries served | Healthcare (FDA, HIPAA, IEC 62304, ISO 13485), Energy (battery management, EV charging), Transportation & Logistics, Manufacturing & Industrial IoT, Consumer Electronics, Automotive | Industrial, Medical devices, Military/defense, Consumer electronics |
Lemberg Solutions vs DE Design Works: overview
Lemberg Solutions
Lemberg Solutions was founded in 2007 in Lviv, Ukraine and has grown to a 200+ person team with additional offices in Hamburg, London, and Kraków. Its engagement scope runs from RTOS and bare-metal firmware architecture through embedded GUI work, secure boot and OTA update design, and hardware validation in its own lab with oscilloscopes, evaluation kits, and hardware-in-the-loop testing capability. Direct partnership status with NXP, STMicroelectronics, and Microchip, plus ISO 9001, ISO 27001, and ISO 13485 certifications, gives a procurement team the kind of verifiable vendor-qualification evidence an RFP typically asks for, and the company transfers full IP and source code rights to the client on delivery.
DE Design Works
DE Design Works was founded in 2002 and operates from Chesterfield, Missouri with a team in the 11 to 50 employee range. Its scope centers on PCB and hardware design for rugged industrial, medical, and military applications alongside embedded software and firmware, including secure OTA update signing, staging, and rollback, and embedded Linux board support package bring-up. For an RFP built around a ruggedized or regulated product, having electronics and firmware design under one small, senior vendor reduces the integration risk of coordinating separate hardware and software contractors.
Services and capabilities: Lemberg Solutions vs DE Design Works
| Capability | Lemberg Solutions | DE Design Works |
|---|---|---|
| Firmware development | ✓ | ✓ |
| Hardware / PCB co-design | ✓ | ✓ |
| Functional safety / certification | ✓ | ✗ |
| Defense / aerospace credentials | ✗ | ✗ |
| Medical device firmware | ✗ | ✗ |
| Secure firmware updates | ✓ | ✓ |
| IoT connectivity | ✓ | ✗ |
| Embedded Linux | ✗ | ✓ |
| Staff augmentation | ✓ | ✗ |
Tech stack comparison: Lemberg Solutions vs DE Design Works
| Framework / platform | Lemberg Solutions | DE Design Works |
|---|---|---|
| C | ✓ | ✓ |
| C++ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Embedded Linux | ✓ | ✓ |
| PCB Design | N/A | ✓ |
| FPGA | N/A | N/A |
| MISRA C | ✓ | N/A |
| ITAR | N/A | N/A |
| AWS IoT | ✓ | N/A |
| ASIL | N/A | 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 | Project-based engineering |
| 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, ISO 13485), Energy (battery management, EV charging), Transportation & Logistics | Industrial, Medical devices, Military/defense |
| Best use cases | RFP requiring hardware validation, firmware development, and compliance documentation in one response, Secure OTA update infrastructure for a fleet of connected devices already in the field | Combined PCB and firmware design for a ruggedized industrial or military device, Secure OTA update infrastructure RFP for a fielded product |
| Typical project type | Firmware consulting | Project-based engineering |
Lemberg Solutions vs DE Design Works: pros and cons
| Lemberg Solutions | |
|---|---|
| + | In-house hardware lab covers board bring-up and HIL validation, a line item many pure-firmware vendors subcontract out |
| + | ISO 9001, ISO 27001, and ISO 13485 certifications give a procurement team documented evidence for vendor qualification checklists |
| + | Direct NXP, STMicroelectronics, and Microchip partner status is independently verifiable against each vendor's own partner directory |
| + | Engagement models span consulting, design-phase, full lifecycle, and staff augmentation, matching how most RFPs are structured |
| + | Full IP and source code transfer on delivery removes a common negotiation point in vendor contracts |
| - | Does not run mass production in-house, so a manufacturing line item still needs a separate contractor |
| - | Does not submit regulatory certification filings on the client's behalf, only the supporting technical documentation |
| - | No published minimum engagement figure, so budget fit for a specific RFP needs a scoping call |
| DE Design Works | |
|---|---|
| + | PCB and hardware design for rugged, regulated applications sits alongside firmware in the same firm, not a separate contractor |
| + | Secure OTA update work covering signing, staging, and rollback is a specific, verifiable technical capability for a security-conscious RFP |
| + | 23 years of operating history gives a track record to reference-check against |
| + | Rugged industrial, medical, and military application experience matches vendor-qualification requirements common in those RFPs |
| - | 11 to 50 employees limits concurrent capacity compared to larger competing bidders |
| - | Public case studies naming specific past programs are limited, so verifying track record needs direct reference requests |
| - | No published pricing or minimum engagement threshold |
Who should choose Lemberg Solutions?
A typical fit: RFP requiring hardware validation, firmware development, and compliance documentation in one response.
In-house hardware lab plus NXP, STMicroelectronics, and Microchip partner status covers both the board bring-up and firmware line items in a single SOW. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed. Works best with clients in Healthcare (FDA, HIPAA, IEC 62304, ISO 13485), Energy (battery management, EV charging), Transportation & Logistics, Manufacturing & Industrial IoT, Consumer Electronics, Automotive.
Who should choose DE Design Works?
A typical fit: combined PCB and firmware design for a ruggedized industrial or military device.
23 years of combined PCB, hardware, and firmware design specifically for rugged industrial, medical, and military applications. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed. Works best with clients in Industrial, Medical devices, Military/defense, Consumer electronics.
Decision matrix: Lemberg Solutions vs DE Design Works
| Your situation | Recommended choice |
|---|---|
| You need full-ownership delivery on a defined project scope | Both offer fixed-price models |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| RFP requiring hardware validation, firmware development, and compliance documentation in one response | Strong | Strong | Both equally |
| Secure OTA update infrastructure for a fleet of connected devices already in the field | Strong | Strong | Both equally |
| Combined PCB and firmware design for a ruggedized industrial or military device | Limited | Strong | DE Design Works |
| Secure OTA update infrastructure RFP for a fielded product | Strong | Strong | Both equally |
| Fixed-price build | Limited | Limited | Both equally |
| Staff augmentation | Limited | Limited | Both equally |
Verdict: Lemberg Solutions vs DE Design Works
Lemberg Solutions (4.8/5) is the stronger overall choice for most Embedded Firmware projects. In-house hardware lab plus NXP, STMicroelectronics, and Microchip partner status covers both the board bring-up and firmware line items in a single SOW.
DE Design Works (4.3/5) is worth a look if you need secure OTA update infrastructure RFP for a fielded product. 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 (4.8/5) scores higher overall, but "better" depends on your use case. Lemberg Solutions's strongest advantage: in-house hardware lab covers board bring-up and HIL validation, a line item many pure-firmware vendors subcontract out. DE Design Works's strongest advantage: PCB and hardware design for rugged, regulated applications sits alongside firmware in the same firm, not a separate contractor.
How do Lemberg Solutions and DE Design Works differ in pricing?
Lemberg Solutions uses firmware consulting, design-phase engagement, full development lifecycle, or staff augmentation pricing. DE Design Works uses project-based electronics and firmware engagements 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 service provider before shortlisting.
What are the main differences between Lemberg Solutions and DE Design Works?
Lemberg Solutions's primary differentiator is: in-house hardware lab plus NXP, STMicroelectronics, and Microchip partner status covers both the board bring-up and firmware line items in a single SOW. DE Design Works's primary differentiator is: 23 years of combined PCB, hardware, and firmware design specifically for rugged industrial, medical, and military applications. 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, ISO 13485), Energy (battery management, EV charging) vs Industrial, Medical devices).
Verify all details directly with each service provider before making a decision.