Dojo Five vs EmLogic AS: full comparison for 2026
Quick verdict
Dojo Five (4.5/5) edges ahead of EmLogic AS (3.8/5) overall. Dojo Five is the better choice for teams that want a remote-first firmware partner with an explicit engineering culture. EmLogic AS is the stronger option for teams wanting Zephyr RTOS specialists led by repeat embedded-company founders. The right choice depends on your project size, budget, and required tech stack.
Dojo Five vs EmLogic AS: head-to-head summary
| Criterion | Dojo Five | EmLogic AS |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2018 | 2021 |
| HQ | Saint Paul, MN, USA | Norway |
| Team size | 26 | Not published |
| Rating | 4.5 / 5 | 3.8 / 5 |
| Primary differentiator | Stated "modern firmware" culture with explicit values (humble confidence, 40-hour weeks) built into how the team operates day to day | Founding team with prior experience each building similar embedded companies, concentrated specifically on Zephyr RTOS |
| Pricing model | Project-based firmware engagements | Project-based embedded design engagements |
| Min. engagement | Not published | Not published |
| Primary tech stack | C, C++, Python | Zephyr RTOS, FPGA, C |
| Industries served | Medical devices, Diagnostics, Connected devices | Industrial, IoT hardware |
Dojo Five vs EmLogic AS: overview
Dojo Five
Dojo Five was founded in 2018 and is headquartered in Saint Paul, Minnesota with a team of 26 engineers. The company explicitly builds its identity around "modern firmware", the tools, techniques, and culture behind a better day-to-day experience building embedded devices, and operates remote-first with stated values including always learning, humble confidence, and pushing boundaries while protecting a 40-hour work week. For a buyer weighing team culture and engineer retention as part of a long-term hiring decision, that explicit values statement is unusually direct for a firmware company.
EmLogic AS
EmLogic AS was founded on January 1, 2021 by Michal Koziel, Snorre Meland, Sven Ivar Mørch, and Espen Tallaksen, each with prior experience founding similar embedded companies, and operates as part of the TechSeed group in Norway. For a hiring buyer, that founder background matters: this is a team led by people who've already built and run comparable firms before, not first-time founders learning the business alongside the client. The firm's stated depth in Zephyr RTOS is a specific, current specialty in the real-time operating system the Linux Foundation and much of the industry now treat as a de facto standard.
Services and capabilities: Dojo Five vs EmLogic AS
| Capability | Dojo Five | EmLogic AS |
|---|---|---|
| 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: Dojo Five vs EmLogic AS
| Framework / platform | Dojo Five | EmLogic AS |
|---|---|---|
| C | ✓ | ✓ |
| C++ | ✓ | ✓ |
| FreeRTOS | N/A | N/A |
| Zephyr | N/A | ✓ |
| FPGA | 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: Dojo Five vs EmLogic AS
| Criterion | Dojo Five | EmLogic AS |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum engagement | Not published | Not published |
| Engagement models | Project-based firmware development | Project-based embedded design |
| Rate transparency | Not public | Not public |
| Price tier | Mid-market | Mid-market |
Target audience comparison: Dojo Five vs EmLogic AS
| Dimension | Dojo Five | EmLogic AS |
|---|---|---|
| Best company size | Startup to mid-market | Startup to mid-market |
| Best industries | Medical devices, Diagnostics, Connected devices | Industrial, IoT hardware |
| Best use cases | Embedded Linux firmware development needing a dedicated, remote-first team, Production-ready firmware handoff for a connected medical device | Hiring a Zephyr RTOS specialist team led by experienced repeat founders, Migrating existing firmware from a legacy RTOS to Zephyr |
| Typical project type | Project-based firmware development | Project-based embedded design |
Dojo Five vs EmLogic AS: pros and cons
| Dojo Five | |
|---|---|
| + | Explicit, published team culture (humble confidence, always deliver, 40-hour weeks) gives a hiring buyer real signal about who they'd be working with |
| + | Remote-first structure from the start, not a pandemic-era retrofit, suggests mature distributed-team practices |
| + | 7 years of operating history focused entirely on firmware, with a dedicated Embedded Linux team |
| + | Small team size (26) means a client works with senior engineers directly rather than being routed through account layers |
| - | 26 engineers caps concurrent capacity for a client needing several parallel workstreams |
| - | Its stated focus on connected medical devices and diagnostics is a narrower fit outside that vertical |
| - | No published pricing or minimum engagement figure |
| EmLogic AS | |
|---|---|
| + | All four founders bring prior experience founding similar embedded companies, not first-time entrepreneurship |
| + | Zephyr RTOS specialization targets the real-time operating system much of the industry now treats as a de facto standard |
| + | FPGA and hardware design capability alongside firmware covers projects needing custom logic as well as MCU code |
| + | Part of the TechSeed group in Norway, giving access to a broader company-building network |
| - | Founded in 2021, giving it the shortest public operating history of any team on this list |
| - | Public team size and detailed case study history are not yet published |
| - | No published pricing or minimum engagement figure |
Who should choose Dojo Five?
A typical fit: embedded Linux firmware development needing a dedicated, remote-first team.
Stated "modern firmware" culture with explicit values (humble confidence, 40-hour weeks) built into how the team operates day to day. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed. Works best with clients in Medical devices, Diagnostics, Connected devices.
Who should choose EmLogic AS?
A typical fit: hiring a Zephyr RTOS specialist team led by experienced repeat founders.
Founding team with prior experience each building similar embedded companies, concentrated specifically on Zephyr RTOS. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed. Works best with clients in Industrial, IoT hardware.
Decision matrix: Dojo Five vs EmLogic AS
| 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: Dojo Five (Not published) vs EmLogic AS (Not published) |
| You need specialist depth in a specific vertical | Dojo Five |
| 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: Dojo Five vs EmLogic AS
| Use case | Dojo Five fit | EmLogic AS fit | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Embedded Linux firmware development needing a dedicated, remote-first team | Strong | Strong | Both equally |
| Production-ready firmware handoff for a connected medical device | Strong | Limited | Dojo Five |
| Hiring a Zephyr RTOS specialist team led by experienced repeat founders | Limited | Strong | EmLogic AS |
| Migrating existing firmware from a legacy RTOS to Zephyr | Limited | Strong | EmLogic AS |
| Fixed-price build | Limited | Limited | Both equally |
| Staff augmentation | Limited | Limited | Both equally |
Verdict: Dojo Five vs EmLogic AS
Dojo Five (4.5/5) is the stronger overall choice for most Embedded Firmware Development projects. Stated "modern firmware" culture with explicit values (humble confidence, 40-hour weeks) built into how the team operates day to day.
EmLogic AS (3.8/5) is worth a look if you need migrating existing firmware from a legacy RTOS to Zephyr. If your situation matches that, EmLogic AS is a competitive option.
Related comparisons
Dojo Five vs EmLogic AS FAQ
Is Dojo Five better than EmLogic AS?
Dojo Five (4.5/5) scores higher overall, but "better" depends on your use case. Dojo Five's strongest advantage: Explicit, published team culture (humble confidence, always deliver, 40-hour weeks) gives a hiring buyer real signal about who they'd be working with. EmLogic AS's strongest advantage: all four founders bring prior experience founding similar embedded companies, not first-time entrepreneurship.
How do Dojo Five and EmLogic AS differ in pricing?
Dojo Five uses project-based firmware engagements pricing. EmLogic AS uses project-based embedded design engagements pricing. Neither firm publishes a full rate card; a discovery call is required for project-specific quotes.
Which is better for enterprise: Dojo Five or EmLogic AS?
Dojo Five 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 Dojo Five and EmLogic AS?
Dojo Five's primary differentiator is: stated "modern firmware" culture with explicit values (humble confidence, 40-hour weeks) built into how the team operates day to day. EmLogic AS's primary differentiator is: founding team with prior experience each building similar embedded companies, concentrated specifically on Zephyr RTOS. They also differ in team size (26 vs Not published), minimum engagement (Not published vs Not published), and primary industries served (Medical devices, Diagnostics vs Industrial, IoT hardware).
Verify all details directly with each developer before making a decision.