DornerWorks
Editor's pick #1US boutique embedded engineering firm specializing in aerospace, defense, and medical
Founded 2000 | Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA | 51–200 employees
firmware-developmentfpga-programmingelectrical-engineeringembedded-consultingcybersecurity
What is DornerWorks?
DornerWorks is an embedded systems engineering firm founded in 2000 and headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, serving aerospace, defense, medical, and industrial markets that require high-reliability software, electronics, and FPGA development. Over more than two decades the firm has grown into one of the larger embedded engineering design services firms in the US by team size, without disclosing exact current headcount. DornerWorks' focus on safety- and reliability-critical domains (aerospace, defense, medical) sets it apart from generalist embedded shops, and its FPGA and hypervisor (Xen-based) work is a recognized specialty in the embedded community.
DornerWorks works primarily with clients in Aerospace, Defense, Medical devices, Industrial sectors. Its primary differentiator is: Deep specialization in high-reliability aerospace, defense, and medical embedded systems, including FPGA and hypervisor work.
DornerWorks tech stack and services
C/C++FreeRTOSXen hypervisorFPGA (VHDL/Verilog)Embedded LinuxDO-178C-aware development
| Service area |
|---|
| Firmware Development |
| FPGA Programming |
| Electrical Engineering |
| Embedded Consulting |
| Cybersecurity |
DornerWorks pricing
Short answer: DornerWorks uses a fixed project, time and materials pricing approach. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed; a discovery call is required.
| Engagement model | Typical range | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed project | From not disclosed | Well-defined scope |
| Time and materials | Variable; depends on team size | Large programmes or team augmentation |
DornerWorks does not publish a public rate card. Contact them directly via their website to get project-specific pricing.
DornerWorks pros and cons
| Advantages | Things to consider |
|---|---|
| +Two-decade specialization in aerospace, defense, and medical embedded systems where reliability requirements are highest | -Exact current headcount is not publicly disclosed, only described qualitatively as "one of the largest" embedded firms of its type in the US (per company website; independently unverifiable) |
| +Recognized FPGA and open-source hypervisor (Xen) expertise, a narrower specialty than most embedded generalists offer | -Aerospace/defense/medical focus may mean less familiarity with high-volume consumer electronics production concerns |
| +US-based team simplifies export-control and ITAR-sensitive engagements for defense clients | -Public minimum engagement and pricing are not disclosed |
DornerWorks vs alternatives
How DornerWorks compares to the other top Embedded Software companies.
| Company | Best for | Key difference | Rating | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lemberg Solutions | Full-stack embedded builds needing hardware through cloud in... | 360° engineering across electrical, firmware, Linux, FPGA, and cloud under one roof with a certified in-house hardware lab | 4.8 | Full comparison |
| eInfochips | Enterprise clients wanting embedded engineering backed by Arrow's... | Component sourcing and supply-chain access via parent company Arrow Electronics, paired with a 30-year product engineering track record | 4.0 | Full comparison |
| DMC, Inc. | Manufacturers needing embedded work bundled with factory automation. | Combines embedded systems engineering with manufacturing and test automation under one US-based team | 3.9 | Full comparison |
| Integra Sources | Startups wanting one team for both hardware and... | Turnkey hardware-plus-firmware delivery from a single small team, avoiding the coordination overhead of separate vendors | 4.1 | Full comparison |
| Innowise | Buyers wanting embedded work bundled with broader software... | Large-scale IT outsourcing capacity with an IoT/embedded delivery line inside a much broader software portfolio | 3.8 | Full comparison |
| Avenga | Enterprises wanting IoT engineering inside a broad digital... | Broad software, data, and IoT portfolio backed by scale from consolidating multiple acquired firms since 2017 | 3.8 | Full comparison |
| ByteSnap Design | UK/EU clients needing custom electronic board design paired... | ISO 9001-certified UK boutique with named partnerships across STMicroelectronics, NXP, Microchip, Digi, and Analog Devices | 4.4 | Full comparison |
| LTTS | Large enterprises needing embedded engineering with public-company governance. | Publicly-listed engineering R&D scale (23,800+ engineers) backed by the L&T Group, spanning embedded, automotive, and industrial IoT | 3.9 | Full comparison |
| Sirin Software | Semiconductor and IoT teams needing deep wireless protocol... | Named specialization in wireless stacks (Wi-Fi, BLE, Matter, UWB, NFC, LoRaWAN) across Linux, Zephyr, FreeRTOS, and ThreadX | 4.3 | Full comparison |
| Promwad | European clients wanting hardware, firmware, and FPGA from... | End-to-end European design house covering PCB, FPGA, embedded Linux, and manufacturing coordination in one contracted partner | 4.3 | Full comparison |
| Timesys | Teams needing embedded Linux security and long-term maintenance... | Nearly three-decade specialization in embedded Linux security and long-term-support tooling, now under Lynx Software Technologies | 4.2 | Full comparison |
| emlix | Industrial and safety-critical clients needing deep embedded Linux... | Over two decades of pure-play embedded Linux specialization serving 350+ customers in German industrial and safety-critical sectors | 4.5 | Full comparison |
| Pengutronix | Teams needing genuine upstream Linux kernel expertise, not... | Developers directly contribute upstream to the Linux kernel (2,500+ changes across 4,000+ files in 2023 alone), a depth signal few consultancies can match | 4.6 | Full comparison |
| Elektrobit | Automotive OEMs needing AUTOSAR and ECU software at... | Automotive-only embedded software specialist with software running in 600M+ vehicles, backed by Continental's manufacturing scale | 4.4 | Full comparison |
| Vector Informatik | Automotive teams standardizing on AUTOSAR tooling and ECU... | One of the primary commercial forces behind the AUTOSAR standard, combining automotive embedded tooling with engineering services | 4.5 | Full comparison |
| KPIT Technologies | Global automotive OEMs needing software-defined vehicle engineering at... | Publicly-listed, automotive-only embedded engineering at 12,000+ engineer scale, specializing in software-defined vehicle architectures | 4.1 | Full comparison |
| Tata Elxsi | Enterprises needing embedded engineering alongside media or healthcare... | Broad ER&D scale spanning automotive, media/telecom, and healthcare, with 35+ years of engineering R&D history | 4.0 | Full comparison |
| Capgemini Engineering | Global enterprises needing embedded work inside a broad... | One of the largest global engineering consultancies by headcount, with embedded/electronics as one of many technical domains covered | 3.8 | Full comparison |
| Cyient | Aerospace and defense programs needing embedded avionics engineering... | Aerospace-focused embedded avionics practice (fly-by-wire, autopilot, collision avoidance) backed by acquisitions like CERTON Software | 4.0 | Full comparison |
| QuEST Global | Multi-vertical enterprises needing embedded engineering alongside broader R&D. | Very broad engineering-services scale (90+ delivery centers, 18+ countries) with embedded/silicon engineering as one capability among many verticals | 3.9 | Full comparison |
| Wind River | Safety-critical aerospace and industrial programs standardizing on VxWorks. | Maker of VxWorks, a certified RTOS deployed in commercial and military aircraft, with over 40 years of real-time systems history | 4.2 | Full comparison |
| GlobalLogic | Enterprises wanting embedded work inside a broader Hitachi-backed... | Hitachi-owned digital engineering scale with silicon and embedded hardware/software solutions plus a named Elektrobit automotive partnership | 3.9 | Full comparison |
| Luxoft | Automotive OEMs needing infotainment and digital cockpit software... | Automotive software systems integrator with software in 50M+ vehicles, partnering with 8 of the 10 largest vehicle manufacturers, now under DXC Technology | 3.9 | Full comparison |
| Data Respons | Nordic and European clients needing embedded work across... | Nordic embedded specialist with nearly 40 years of history across eight distinct industry sectors, now backed by Akkodis' scale | 4.2 | Full comparison |
| Klika Tech | Teams needing edge-to-cloud IoT systems with AWS-native integration. | AWS Premier Partner specializing specifically in edge-to-cloud IoT integration, backed by a documented STMicroelectronics partnership | 4.3 | Full comparison |
| Intellias | Automotive clients needing navigation and connected-vehicle software at... | Named automotive navigation technology deployed across 10+ car brands and 10M+ vehicles, inside a broader IT outsourcing portfolio | 3.8 | Full comparison |
| N-iX | Enterprises wanting embedded/IoT work bundled with broader cloud... | 15+ years of dedicated IoT and embedded solutions experience inside a broader custom software engineering portfolio | 3.8 | Full comparison |
| HCLTech | Global enterprises wanting embedded engineering as part of... | Embedded engineering delivered by the Engineering & R&D Services business unit inside one of the world's largest IT services companies | 3.7 | Full comparison |
DornerWorks FAQ
What is DornerWorks?
US boutique embedded engineering firm specializing in aerospace, defense, and medical
How much does DornerWorks charge?
DornerWorks uses fixed project, time and materials pricing. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed. A discovery call is required to get project-specific quotes.
What tech stack does DornerWorks use?
DornerWorks works with C/C++, FreeRTOS, Xen hypervisor, FPGA (VHDL/Verilog), Embedded Linux, DO-178C-aware development. Primary industries served include Aerospace, Defense, Medical devices, Industrial.
Is DornerWorks right for enterprise?
Aerospace, defense, and medical programs needing safety-critical embedded engineering. 51–200 team size. Key consideration: Exact current headcount is not publicly disclosed, only described qualitatively as "one of the largest" embedded firms of its type in the US (per company website; independently unverifiable).
What are the best DornerWorks alternatives?
The best alternatives to DornerWorks depend on your use case. Top options are:
- Lemberg Solutions: 360° engineering across electrical, firmware, linux, fpga, and cloud under one roof with a certified in-house hardware lab
- eInfochips: component sourcing and supply-chain access via parent company arrow electronics, paired with a 30-year product engineering track record
- DMC, Inc.: combines embedded systems engineering with manufacturing and test automation under one us-based team
Compare DornerWorks with other Embedded Software companies
DornerWorks vs Lemberg Solutions DornerWorks vs eInfochips DornerWorks vs DMC, Inc. DornerWorks vs Integra Sources DornerWorks vs Innowise DornerWorks vs Avenga DornerWorks vs ByteSnap Design DornerWorks vs LTTS DornerWorks vs Sirin Software DornerWorks vs Promwad DornerWorks vs Timesys DornerWorks vs emlix DornerWorks vs Pengutronix DornerWorks vs Elektrobit DornerWorks vs Vector Informatik DornerWorks vs KPIT Technologies DornerWorks vs Tata Elxsi DornerWorks vs Capgemini Engineering DornerWorks vs Cyient DornerWorks vs QuEST Global DornerWorks vs Wind River DornerWorks vs GlobalLogic DornerWorks vs Luxoft DornerWorks vs Data Respons DornerWorks vs Klika Tech DornerWorks vs Intellias DornerWorks vs N-iX DornerWorks vs HCLTech
Verify all details directly with DornerWorks before making a decision.