Ripcord Designs vs EES: full comparison for 2026
Quick verdict
Ripcord Designs (3.8/5) edges ahead of EES (3.8/5) overall. Ripcord Designs is the better choice for teams wanting senior technical judgment applied directly rather than delegated through management. EES is the stronger option for teams deliberately avoiding a large delivery organization in favor of senior-led staff. The right choice depends on your project size, budget, and required tech stack.
Ripcord Designs vs EES: head-to-head summary
| Criterion | Ripcord Designs | EES |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2015 | 2012 |
| HQ | London / Cambridge, UK | Tempe / Chandler, AZ, USA |
| Team size | Not published | 3–50 |
| Rating | 3.8 / 5 | 3.8 / 5 |
| Primary differentiator | Founded by a former Engineering Director who moved from managing engineering to doing it directly, spanning MedTech, IVD, and industrial products | Explicitly positions itself as senior-led, keeping the team small by design rather than as a growth-stage limitation |
| Pricing model | Project-based electronics and firmware consulting engagements | Contract engineering engagements |
| Min. engagement | Not published | Not published |
| Primary tech stack | C, C++, Embedded Linux | C, C++, Industrial Embedded Systems |
| Industries served | MedTech, IVD & lab devices, Robotics & industrial, Consumer electronics | Industrial |
Ripcord Designs vs EES: overview
Ripcord Designs
Ripcord Designs is a UK-based electronic and embedded software design consultancy operating from the London and Cambridge area, founded around 2015 by Adam, previously Engineering Director at Broadcast Sports. That career move, from managing engineering at a larger company to building a smaller hands-on practice, is a specific signal about the kind of team a hiring buyer would be working with: senior technical judgment applied directly, not delegated down through management layers. The firm spans MedTech, IVD and lab devices, robotics and industrial, and consumer electronics work.
EES
Embedded Engineering Solutions (EES) was launched in 2012 and is based in Tempe, Arizona, with reported headcount varying across sources from roughly 3 to 50 employees, most consistently described as a small, senior-led firm. The company specializes in contract firmware, embedded systems, and hardware design engineering for the industrial sector, and its own positioning leans on being senior-led rather than layered with junior staff. For a hiring buyer specifically avoiding a large delivery organization, that's the stated value proposition, not an incidental trait.
Services and capabilities: Ripcord Designs vs EES
| Capability | Ripcord Designs | EES |
|---|---|---|
| Firmware development | ✓ | ✓ |
| RTOS development | ✗ | ✗ |
| Hardware co-design | ✓ | ✓ |
| Embedded GUI development | ✗ | ✗ |
| Medical device firmware | ✓ | ✗ |
| Functional safety | ✗ | ✗ |
| Technical training | ✗ | ✗ |
| Expert-witness services | ✗ | ✗ |
| Staff augmentation | ✗ | ✗ |
Tech stack comparison: Ripcord Designs vs EES
| Framework / platform | Ripcord Designs | EES |
|---|---|---|
| C | ✓ | ✓ |
| C++ | ✓ | ✓ |
| FreeRTOS | N/A | N/A |
| Zephyr | N/A | N/A |
| FPGA | N/A | N/A |
| Embedded Linux | ✓ | N/A |
| LVGL | N/A | N/A |
| AWS IoT | N/A | N/A |
| ARM Cortex-M | N/A | N/A |
Pricing comparison: Ripcord Designs vs EES
| Criterion | Ripcord Designs | EES |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum engagement | Not published | Not published |
| Engagement models | Project-based consulting and development | Contract firmware and hardware engineering |
| Rate transparency | Not public | Not public |
| Price tier | Mid-market | Mid-market |
Target audience comparison: Ripcord Designs vs EES
| Dimension | Ripcord Designs | EES |
|---|---|---|
| Best company size | Startup to mid-market | Startup to mid-market |
| Best industries | MedTech, IVD & lab devices, Robotics & industrial | Industrial |
| Best use cases | Hiring senior technical judgment directly, without management layers, for a MedTech or IVD device, Compliance-aware design consulting for a robotics or industrial product | Hiring a deliberately small, senior-led team for an industrial firmware program, Combined hardware and firmware engineering without separate specialist vendors |
| Typical project type | Project-based consulting and development | Contract firmware and hardware engineering |
Ripcord Designs vs EES: pros and cons
| Ripcord Designs | |
|---|---|
| + | Founder background as an Engineering Director at a named prior employer (Broadcast Sports) gives its origin story specificity |
| + | Explicitly frames its role as providing an independent perspective on architecture and technical risk |
| + | 10 years of operating history spanning MedTech, IVD, robotics, and consumer electronics sectors |
| + | Compliance support work is bundled alongside design consulting, useful for regulated-product hiring needs |
| - | Team size is not published, making bench-depth verification for a larger program harder without a direct conversation |
| - | Some founding-date and headcount details are thin in public sources and would benefit from direct confirmation |
| - | No published pricing or minimum engagement figure |
| EES | |
|---|---|
| + | Explicit senior-led positioning means the small team size is a deliberate choice, not just a growth-stage limitation |
| + | 13 years of operating history as a contract engineering firm for the industrial sector |
| + | Combines firmware, embedded systems, and hardware design in one team, covering multiple disciplines without separate specialist hires |
| + | Small size means a client's engagement represents a meaningful share of the firm's total capacity |
| - | Reported employee counts vary widely across sources, from roughly 3 to 50, worth confirming current headcount directly |
| - | Small team size caps capacity for a large or multi-workstream program |
| - | No published pricing or minimum engagement figure |
Who should choose Ripcord Designs?
A typical fit: hiring senior technical judgment directly, without management layers, for a MedTech or IVD device.
Founded by a former Engineering Director who moved from managing engineering to doing it directly, spanning MedTech, IVD, and industrial products. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed. Works best with clients in MedTech, IVD & lab devices, Robotics & industrial, Consumer electronics.
Who should choose EES?
A typical fit: hiring a deliberately small, senior-led team for an industrial firmware program.
Explicitly positions itself as senior-led, keeping the team small by design rather than as a growth-stage limitation. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed. Works best with clients in Industrial.
Decision matrix: Ripcord Designs vs EES
| 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: Ripcord Designs (Not published) vs EES (Not published) |
| You need specialist depth in a specific vertical | Ripcord Designs |
| You need staff augmentation or team extension | Neither; consider alternatives that offer staff aug |
| You need consulting before committing to a build | Both may offer discovery engagements |
Use case fit: Ripcord Designs vs EES
| Use case | Ripcord Designs fit | EES fit | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hiring senior technical judgment directly, without management layers, for a MedTech or IVD device | Strong | Strong | Both equally |
| Compliance-aware design consulting for a robotics or industrial product | Strong | Limited | Ripcord Designs |
| Hiring a deliberately small, senior-led team for an industrial firmware program | Strong | Strong | Both equally |
| Combined hardware and firmware engineering without separate specialist vendors | Limited | Strong | EES |
| Fixed-price build | Limited | Limited | Both equally |
| Staff augmentation | Limited | Limited | Both equally |
Verdict: Ripcord Designs vs EES
Ripcord Designs (3.8/5) is the stronger overall choice for most Embedded Firmware Development projects. Founded by a former Engineering Director who moved from managing engineering to doing it directly, spanning MedTech, IVD, and industrial products.
EES (3.8/5) is worth a look if you need combined hardware and firmware engineering without separate specialist vendors. If your situation matches that, EES is a competitive option.
Related comparisons
Ripcord Designs vs EES FAQ
Is Ripcord Designs better than EES?
Ripcord Designs (3.8/5) scores higher overall, but "better" depends on your use case. Ripcord Designs's strongest advantage: founder background as an Engineering Director at a named prior employer (Broadcast Sports) gives its origin story specificity. EES's strongest advantage: explicit senior-led positioning means the small team size is a deliberate choice, not just a growth-stage limitation.
How do Ripcord Designs and EES differ in pricing?
Ripcord Designs uses project-based electronics and firmware consulting engagements pricing. EES uses contract engineering engagements pricing. Neither firm publishes a full rate card; a discovery call is required for project-specific quotes.
Which is better for enterprise: Ripcord Designs or EES?
EES is the larger team and typically the better enterprise-scale choice. For very large programmes, verify team size and compliance coverage directly with each developer before shortlisting.
What are the main differences between Ripcord Designs and EES?
Ripcord Designs's primary differentiator is: founded by a former Engineering Director who moved from managing engineering to doing it directly, spanning MedTech, IVD, and industrial products. EES's primary differentiator is: explicitly positions itself as senior-led, keeping the team small by design rather than as a growth-stage limitation. They also differ in team size (Not published vs 3–50), minimum engagement (Not published vs Not published), and primary industries served (MedTech, IVD & lab devices vs Industrial).
Verify all details directly with each developer before making a decision.