Dojo Five vs Oxalis Design: full comparison for 2026
Quick verdict
Dojo Five (4.5/5) edges ahead of Oxalis Design (4.0/5) overall. Dojo Five is the better choice for teams that want a remote-first firmware partner with an explicit engineering culture. Oxalis Design is the stronger option for very small teams wanting direct, ongoing access to the founding engineers. The right choice depends on your project size, budget, and required tech stack.
Dojo Five vs Oxalis Design: head-to-head summary
| Criterion | Dojo Five | Oxalis Design |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2018 | 2019 |
| HQ | Saint Paul, MN, USA | Bristol, UK |
| Team size | 26 | 2–10 |
| Rating | 4.5 / 5 | 4.0 / 5 |
| Primary differentiator | Stated "modern firmware" culture with explicit values (humble confidence, 40-hour weeks) built into how the team operates day to day | Founder-led team where both founders remain personally involved in client engineering work, not just management |
| Pricing model | Project-based firmware engagements | Project-based electronics and embedded engagements |
| Min. engagement | Not published | Not published |
| Primary tech stack | C, C++, Python | C, C++, RF Design |
| Industries served | Medical devices, Diagnostics, Connected devices | Medical devices, Consumer electronics, Industrial |
Dojo Five vs Oxalis Design: 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.
Oxalis Design
Oxalis Design is a Bristol, UK electronics and embedded systems consultancy founded by Alex Turner and Alex Thornicroft, both experienced electronics and software engineers who remain personally involved in client work rather than having moved fully into management. For a client evaluating team fit at the smallest scale, this means the people making architecture decisions are the same people who will be reachable throughout the engagement, not a sales contact who hands the work to unnamed staff.
Services and capabilities: Dojo Five vs Oxalis Design
| Capability | Dojo Five | Oxalis Design |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Oxalis Design
| Framework / platform | Dojo Five | Oxalis Design |
|---|---|---|
| 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: Dojo Five vs Oxalis Design
| Criterion | Dojo Five | Oxalis Design |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum engagement | Not published | Not published |
| Engagement models | Project-based firmware development | Project-based engineering, concept through pilot build |
| Rate transparency | Not public | Not public |
| Price tier | Mid-market | Mid-market |
Target audience comparison: Dojo Five vs Oxalis Design
| Dimension | Dojo Five | Oxalis Design |
|---|---|---|
| Best company size | Startup to mid-market | Startup to mid-market |
| Best industries | Medical devices, Diagnostics, Connected devices | Medical devices, Consumer electronics, Industrial |
| Best use cases | Embedded Linux firmware development needing a dedicated, remote-first team, Production-ready firmware handoff for a connected medical device | Hiring a very small team where the founders personally do the engineering, RF and firmware co-design for a new connected consumer device |
| Typical project type | Project-based firmware development | Project-based engineering, concept through pilot build |
Dojo Five vs Oxalis Design: 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 |
| Oxalis Design | |
|---|---|
| + | Both founders remain personally involved in engineering work, not just business development |
| + | Focus on electronics and embedded firmware exclusively, without a broader IT practice diluting attention |
| + | RF design capability in-house means wireless connectivity work doesn't require a separate specialist |
| + | Serves medical, consumer, and industrial clients from concept through pilot build |
| - | A team of 2 to 10 people limits capacity to a small number of concurrent client programs at any time |
| - | Publicly verifiable founding date and detailed case study history are limited |
| - | 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 Oxalis Design?
A typical fit: hiring a very small team where the founders personally do the engineering.
Founder-led team where both founders remain personally involved in client engineering work, not just management. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed. Works best with clients in Medical devices, Consumer electronics, Industrial.
Decision matrix: Dojo Five vs Oxalis Design
| 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 Oxalis Design (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 Oxalis Design
| Use case | Dojo Five fit | Oxalis Design fit | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Embedded Linux firmware development needing a dedicated, remote-first team | Strong | Limited | Dojo Five |
| Production-ready firmware handoff for a connected medical device | Strong | Limited | Dojo Five |
| Hiring a very small team where the founders personally do the engineering | Limited | Strong | Oxalis Design |
| RF and firmware co-design for a new connected consumer device | Limited | Strong | Oxalis Design |
| Fixed-price build | Limited | Limited | Both equally |
| Staff augmentation | Limited | Limited | Both equally |
Verdict: Dojo Five vs Oxalis Design
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.
Oxalis Design (4.0/5) is worth a look if you need RF and firmware co-design for a new connected consumer device. If your situation matches that, Oxalis Design is a competitive option.
Related comparisons
Dojo Five vs Oxalis Design FAQ
Is Dojo Five better than Oxalis Design?
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. Oxalis Design's strongest advantage: both founders remain personally involved in engineering work, not just business development.
How do Dojo Five and Oxalis Design differ in pricing?
Dojo Five uses project-based firmware engagements pricing. Oxalis Design uses project-based electronics and embedded 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 Oxalis Design?
Oxalis Design 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 Oxalis Design?
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. Oxalis Design's primary differentiator is: founder-led team where both founders remain personally involved in client engineering work, not just management. They also differ in team size (26 vs 2–10), minimum engagement (Not published vs Not published), and primary industries served (Medical devices, Diagnostics vs Medical devices, Consumer electronics).
Verify all details directly with each developer before making a decision.