Consult Red vs DE Design Works: full comparison for 2026
Quick verdict
Consult Red (4.3/5) edges ahead of DE Design Works (4.0/5) overall. Consult Red is the better choice for connected-device consulting from a team with direct prior product-company engineering leadership. DE Design Works is the stronger option for architecture advisory for rugged industrial, medical, or military electronics. The right choice depends on your project size, budget, and required tech stack.
Consult Red vs DE Design Works: head-to-head summary
| Criterion | Consult Red | DE Design Works |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2003 | 2002 |
| HQ | Shipley, UK | Chesterfield, MO, USA |
| Team size | 220+ | 11–50 |
| Rating | 4.3 / 5 | 4.0 / 5 |
| Primary differentiator | Founded by five engineering leaders from Pace Micro, employee-owned since its 2020 rebrand from Red Embedded | 23 years of combined PCB, hardware, and firmware architecture experience specifically for rugged industrial, medical, and military applications |
| Pricing model | Consulting and product development engagements | Project-based electronics and firmware consulting engagements |
| Min. engagement | Not published | Not published |
| Primary tech stack | RTOS, Embedded Software, Cloud Platforms | C, C++, Embedded Linux |
| Industries served | Connected TV, IoT, Industrial, Pay TV / OTT | Industrial, Medical devices, Military/defense, Consumer electronics |
Consult Red vs DE Design Works: overview
Consult Red
Consult Red was founded in 2003 by five engineering leaders from Pace Micro, initially operating as Red Embedded before rebranding to Consult Red in February 2020. Headquartered at The Wave, Shipley, England, the firm has grown to more than 220 employees across four continents and transferred ownership to an Employee-Owned Trust, applying its embedded, hardware, and cloud technology experience to connected-device consulting across Connected TV, IoT, and industrial sectors. The founding team's direct engineering leadership background at Pace Micro, a real, named prior employer, gives its consulting credibility a specific origin story a buyer can trace.
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 architecture advisory work centers on PCB and hardware design for rugged industrial, medical, and military applications alongside embedded software and firmware, including secure OTA update strategy and embedded Linux board support package architecture. For a buyer whose consulting need is specifically ruggedization or regulated-application architecture, this is a firm with a track record narrowly built around those exact constraints.
Services and capabilities: Consult Red vs DE Design Works
| Capability | Consult Red | DE Design Works |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Feasibility assessment | ✗ | ✗ |
| Functional safety consulting | ✗ | ✗ |
| Technical training | ✗ | ✗ |
| Expert-witness services | ✗ | ✗ |
| Hardware co-design | ✗ | ✓ |
| Medical device firmware | ✗ | ✗ |
| IoT connectivity | ✓ | ✗ |
| Staff augmentation | ✓ | ✗ |
Tech stack comparison: Consult Red vs DE Design Works
| Framework / platform | Consult Red | DE Design Works |
|---|---|---|
| C | ✓ | ✓ |
| C++ | N/A | ✓ |
| RTOS | ✓ | N/A |
| ISO 26262 | N/A | N/A |
| IEC 61508 | N/A | N/A |
| MISRA C | N/A | N/A |
| FPGA | N/A | N/A |
| Embedded Linux | N/A | ✓ |
| PCB Design | N/A | ✓ |
Pricing comparison: Consult Red vs DE Design Works
| Criterion | Consult Red | DE Design Works |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum engagement | Not published | Not published |
| Engagement models | Consulting, Product development, Staff augmentation | Project-based engineering |
| Rate transparency | Not public | Not public |
| Price tier | Mid-market | Mid-market |
Target audience comparison: Consult Red vs DE Design Works
| Dimension | Consult Red | DE Design Works |
|---|---|---|
| Best company size | Startup to mid-market | Startup to mid-market |
| Best industries | Connected TV, IoT, Industrial | Industrial, Medical devices, Military/defense |
| Best use cases | Connected TV or RDK-based embedded software consulting, IoT product architecture consulting from a team with product-company engineering leadership background | Ruggedization architecture advisory for a new industrial or military device, Secure OTA update strategy consulting for a fielded product |
| Typical project type | Consulting | Project-based engineering |
Consult Red vs DE Design Works: pros and cons
| Consult Red | |
|---|---|
| + | Founded by five engineering leaders from Pace Micro, a specific, verifiable prior employer that grounds the firm's founding expertise claim |
| + | 22 years of operating history, with employee ownership since its 2020 rebrand aligning staff incentives with long-term client relationships |
| + | 220-plus employees across four continents give substantial bench depth for concurrent consulting and development engagements |
| + | Connected TV and RDK-V/RDK-B specialization is a specific, differentiated niche within broader embedded consulting |
| - | Connected TV and OTT specialization is a narrower fit for a buyer whose product has no video or pay-TV component |
| - | No published pricing or minimum engagement figure |
| - | The 2020 rebrand from Red Embedded to Consult Red is worth confirming doesn't create confusion with unrelated firms using similar names |
| DE Design Works | |
|---|---|
| + | PCB and hardware architecture advisory for rugged, regulated applications sits alongside firmware in the same firm |
| + | Secure OTA update strategy advisory is a specific, verifiable capability for security-conscious architecture reviews |
| + | 23 years of operating history gives a track record to reference-check against |
| + | Rugged industrial, medical, and military application experience matches the constraints most general firmware consultants haven't dealt with |
| - | 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 Consult Red?
A typical fit: connected TV or RDK-based embedded software consulting.
Founded by five engineering leaders from Pace Micro, employee-owned since its 2020 rebrand from Red Embedded. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed. Works best with clients in Connected TV, IoT, Industrial, Pay TV / OTT.
Who should choose DE Design Works?
A typical fit: ruggedization architecture advisory for a new industrial or military device.
23 years of combined PCB, hardware, and firmware architecture experience 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: Consult Red 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: Consult Red (Not published) vs DE Design Works (Not published) |
| You need specialist depth in a specific vertical | Consult Red |
| You need staff augmentation or team extension | Consult Red |
| You need consulting before committing to a build | Consult Red |
Use case fit: Consult Red vs DE Design Works
| Use case | Consult Red fit | DE Design Works fit | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connected TV or RDK-based embedded software consulting | Strong | Limited | Consult Red |
| IoT product architecture consulting from a team with product-company engineering leadership background | Strong | Limited | Consult Red |
| Ruggedization architecture advisory for a new industrial or military device | Limited | Strong | DE Design Works |
| Secure OTA update strategy consulting for a fielded product | Limited | Strong | DE Design Works |
| Fixed-price build | Limited | Limited | Both equally |
| Staff augmentation | Strong | Limited | Consult Red |
Verdict: Consult Red vs DE Design Works
Consult Red (4.3/5) is the stronger overall choice for most Firmware Consulting projects. Founded by five engineering leaders from Pace Micro, employee-owned since its 2020 rebrand from Red Embedded.
DE Design Works (4.0/5) is worth a look if you need secure OTA update strategy consulting for a fielded product. If your situation matches that, DE Design Works is a competitive option.
Related comparisons
Consult Red vs DE Design Works FAQ
Is Consult Red better than DE Design Works?
Consult Red (4.3/5) scores higher overall, but "better" depends on your use case. Consult Red's strongest advantage: founded by five engineering leaders from Pace Micro, a specific, verifiable prior employer that grounds the firm's founding expertise claim. DE Design Works's strongest advantage: PCB and hardware architecture advisory for rugged, regulated applications sits alongside firmware in the same firm.
How do Consult Red and DE Design Works differ in pricing?
Consult Red uses consulting and product development engagements pricing. DE Design Works uses project-based electronics and firmware consulting engagements pricing. Neither firm publishes a full rate card; a discovery call is required for project-specific quotes.
Which is better for enterprise: Consult Red 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 consultancy before shortlisting.
What are the main differences between Consult Red and DE Design Works?
Consult Red's primary differentiator is: founded by five engineering leaders from Pace Micro, employee-owned since its 2020 rebrand from Red Embedded. DE Design Works's primary differentiator is: 23 years of combined PCB, hardware, and firmware architecture experience specifically for rugged industrial, medical, and military applications. They also differ in team size (220+ vs 11–50), minimum engagement (Not published vs Not published), and primary industries served (Connected TV, IoT vs Industrial, Medical devices).
Verify all details directly with each consultancy before making a decision.