Lemberg Solutions vs itemis AG: full comparison for 2026
Quick verdict
Lemberg Solutions (4.8/5) edges ahead of itemis AG (4.5/5) overall. Lemberg Solutions is the better choice for architecture consulting that can transition directly into full development. itemis AG is the stronger option for ISO 26262 and IEC 61508 functional safety consulting and compliance engineering. The right choice depends on your project size, budget, and required tech stack.
Lemberg Solutions vs itemis AG: head-to-head summary
| Criterion | Lemberg Solutions | itemis AG |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2007 | 2003 |
| HQ | Lviv, Ukraine (offices in Hamburg, Germany; London, UK; Kraków, Poland) | Dortmund, Germany |
| Team size | 200+ | 220 |
| Rating | 4.8 / 5 | 4.5 / 5 |
| Primary differentiator | Direct NXP, STMicroelectronics, and Microchip partner status backing platform and RTOS selection advisory before development starts | Functional safety compliance engineering as a dedicated, named business line built over more than two decades |
| Pricing model | Firmware consulting, design-phase engagement, full development lifecycle, or staff augmentation | Compliance engineering consulting, model-based development tooling engagements |
| Min. engagement | Not published | Not published |
| Primary tech stack | FreeRTOS, Zephyr, Azure RTOS | ISO 26262, IEC 61508, Model-Based Development Tools |
| Industries served | Healthcare (FDA, HIPAA, IEC 62304, ISO 13485), Energy, Transportation & Logistics, Manufacturing & Industrial IoT, Consumer Electronics, Automotive | Automotive, Industrial, Connected products, Safety-critical systems |
Lemberg Solutions vs itemis AG: 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 firmware consulting practice covers platform and MCU selection, RTOS strategy, and architecture-level guidance delivered before a client commits to full development, backed by direct partnership status with NXP, STMicroelectronics, and Microchip and an in-house lab for hardware validation. ISO 9001, ISO 27001, and ISO 13485 certifications give an advisory engagement documented process credibility that a purely informal consulting relationship doesn't carry.
itemis AG
itemis AG was founded in 2003 in Lünen, Germany and has consolidated its headquarters in Dortmund since 2025, with a team of 220 people. The firm organizes its business around three defined areas: compliance engineering for safety-critical and connected products, model-based development tools, and custom enterprise applications, with functional safety consulting for ISO 26262 and IEC 61508 as a named, dedicated practice rather than a service tacked onto general firmware development. More than two decades of operating history in that specific compliance-engineering space gives it a track record a buyer can check against actual certified programs.
Services and capabilities: Lemberg Solutions vs itemis AG
| Capability | Lemberg Solutions | itemis AG |
|---|---|---|
| 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: Lemberg Solutions vs itemis AG
| Framework / platform | Lemberg Solutions | itemis AG |
|---|---|---|
| C | ✓ | ✓ |
| C++ | ✓ | N/A |
| RTOS | ✓ | N/A |
| ISO 26262 | N/A | ✓ |
| IEC 61508 | N/A | ✓ |
| MISRA C | ✓ | N/A |
| FPGA | N/A | N/A |
| Embedded Linux | ✓ | N/A |
| PCB Design | N/A | N/A |
Pricing comparison: Lemberg Solutions vs itemis AG
| Criterion | Lemberg Solutions | itemis AG |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum engagement | Not published | Not published |
| Engagement models | Firmware consulting, Design-phase engagement, Full development lifecycle, Staff augmentation | Compliance engineering consulting, Model-based development tooling |
| Rate transparency | Not public | Not public |
| Price tier | Mid-market | Mid-market |
Target audience comparison: Lemberg Solutions vs itemis AG
| Dimension | Lemberg Solutions | itemis AG |
|---|---|---|
| Best company size | Startup to mid-market | Startup to mid-market |
| Best industries | Healthcare (FDA, HIPAA, IEC 62304, ISO 13485), Energy, Transportation & Logistics | Automotive, Industrial, Connected products |
| Best use cases | Architecture and feasibility assessment before committing to a full firmware build, RTOS and MCU selection advisory for a new product line | ISO 26262 ASIL-D safety case development for an automotive program, IEC 61508 SIL-3 compliance consulting for an industrial safety system |
| Typical project type | Firmware consulting | Compliance engineering consulting |
Lemberg Solutions vs itemis AG: pros and cons
| Lemberg Solutions | |
|---|---|
| + | Direct partner status with NXP, STMicroelectronics, and Microchip means MCU selection advice comes with chip-vendor-level engineering support behind it |
| + | Design-phase engagement is offered as its own line item, not only as a prelude to a locked-in full build |
| + | In-house hardware lab lets architecture recommendations be validated against real silicon before a client commits budget |
| + | ISO 9001, ISO 27001, and ISO 13485 certifications give an advisory engagement a documented process a client can audit |
| + | Full IP and source code rights transfer to the client on delivery |
| - | Does not run mass production in-house, so a consulting engagement that leads to production still needs a separate manufacturing partner |
| - | Does not submit regulatory certification filings on the client's behalf, only supporting technical documentation |
| - | No published consulting day rate or minimum engagement figure |
| itemis AG | |
|---|---|
| + | Functional safety compliance engineering is one of three defined business areas, not an incidental service |
| + | More than two decades of operating history specifically in safety-critical and connected-product compliance work |
| + | Model-based development tooling expertise supports the traceability requirements ISO 26262 and IEC 61508 both demand |
| + | 220 employees give substantial bench depth for concurrent ASIL-D or SIL-3 program support |
| - | Compliance engineering focus is a narrower fit for a buyer whose primary need is general-purpose firmware development rather than safety certification |
| - | No published pricing or minimum engagement figure |
| - | Recent headquarters consolidation to Dortmund (2025) is worth confirming for office-specific engagement logistics |
Who should choose Lemberg Solutions?
A typical fit: architecture and feasibility assessment before committing to a full firmware build.
Direct NXP, STMicroelectronics, and Microchip partner status backing platform and RTOS selection advisory before development starts. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed. Works best with clients in Healthcare (FDA, HIPAA, IEC 62304, ISO 13485), Energy, Transportation & Logistics, Manufacturing & Industrial IoT, Consumer Electronics, Automotive.
Who should choose itemis AG?
A typical fit: ISO 26262 ASIL-D safety case development for an automotive program.
Functional safety compliance engineering as a dedicated, named business line built over more than two decades. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed. Works best with clients in Automotive, Industrial, Connected products, Safety-critical systems.
Decision matrix: Lemberg Solutions vs itemis AG
| 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 itemis AG (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 itemis AG
| Use case | Lemberg Solutions fit | itemis AG fit | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Architecture and feasibility assessment before committing to a full firmware build | Strong | Limited | Lemberg Solutions |
| RTOS and MCU selection advisory for a new product line | Strong | Limited | Lemberg Solutions |
| ISO 26262 ASIL-D safety case development for an automotive program | Strong | Strong | Both equally |
| IEC 61508 SIL-3 compliance consulting for an industrial safety system | Limited | Strong | itemis AG |
| Fixed-price build | Limited | Limited | Both equally |
| Staff augmentation | Limited | Limited | Both equally |
Verdict: Lemberg Solutions vs itemis AG
Lemberg Solutions (4.8/5) is the stronger overall choice for most Firmware Consulting projects. Direct NXP, STMicroelectronics, and Microchip partner status backing platform and RTOS selection advisory before development starts.
itemis AG (4.5/5) is worth a look if you need IEC 61508 SIL-3 compliance consulting for an industrial safety system. If your situation matches that, itemis AG is a competitive option.
Related comparisons
Lemberg Solutions vs itemis AG FAQ
Is Lemberg Solutions better than itemis AG?
Lemberg Solutions (4.8/5) scores higher overall, but "better" depends on your use case. Lemberg Solutions's strongest advantage: direct partner status with NXP, STMicroelectronics, and Microchip means MCU selection advice comes with chip-vendor-level engineering support behind it. itemis AG's strongest advantage: functional safety compliance engineering is one of three defined business areas, not an incidental service.
How do Lemberg Solutions and itemis AG differ in pricing?
Lemberg Solutions uses firmware consulting, design-phase engagement, full development lifecycle, or staff augmentation pricing. itemis AG uses compliance engineering consulting, model-based development tooling 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 itemis AG?
itemis AG 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 Lemberg Solutions and itemis AG?
Lemberg Solutions's primary differentiator is: direct NXP, STMicroelectronics, and Microchip partner status backing platform and RTOS selection advisory before development starts. itemis AG's primary differentiator is: functional safety compliance engineering as a dedicated, named business line built over more than two decades. They also differ in team size (200+ vs 220), minimum engagement (Not published vs Not published), and primary industries served (Healthcare (FDA, HIPAA, IEC 62304, ISO 13485), Energy vs Automotive, Industrial).
Verify all details directly with each consultancy before making a decision.