Dojo Five vs Ripcord Designs: full comparison for 2026
Quick verdict
Dojo Five (4.5/5) edges ahead of Ripcord Designs (3.8/5) overall. Dojo Five is the better choice for teams that want a remote-first firmware partner with an explicit engineering culture. Ripcord Designs is the stronger option for teams wanting senior technical judgment applied directly rather than delegated through management. The right choice depends on your project size, budget, and required tech stack.
Dojo Five vs Ripcord Designs: head-to-head summary
| Criterion | Dojo Five | Ripcord Designs |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2018 | 2015 |
| HQ | Saint Paul, MN, USA | London / Cambridge, UK |
| 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 | Founded by a former Engineering Director who moved from managing engineering to doing it directly, spanning MedTech, IVD, and industrial products |
| Pricing model | Project-based firmware engagements | Project-based electronics and firmware consulting engagements |
| Min. engagement | Not published | Not published |
| Primary tech stack | C, C++, Python | C, C++, Embedded Linux |
| Industries served | Medical devices, Diagnostics, Connected devices | MedTech, IVD & lab devices, Robotics & industrial, Consumer electronics |
Dojo Five vs Ripcord Designs: 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.
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.
Services and capabilities: Dojo Five vs Ripcord Designs
| Capability | Dojo Five | Ripcord Designs |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Ripcord Designs
| Framework / platform | Dojo Five | Ripcord Designs |
|---|---|---|
| C | ✓ | ✓ |
| C++ | ✓ | ✓ |
| FreeRTOS | N/A | N/A |
| Zephyr | N/A | N/A |
| FPGA | N/A | N/A |
| Embedded Linux | ✓ | ✓ |
| LVGL | N/A | N/A |
| AWS IoT | N/A | N/A |
| ARM Cortex-M | N/A | N/A |
Pricing comparison: Dojo Five vs Ripcord Designs
| Criterion | Dojo Five | Ripcord Designs |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum engagement | Not published | Not published |
| Engagement models | Project-based firmware development | Project-based consulting and development |
| Rate transparency | Not public | Not public |
| Price tier | Mid-market | Mid-market |
Target audience comparison: Dojo Five vs Ripcord Designs
| Dimension | Dojo Five | Ripcord Designs |
|---|---|---|
| Best company size | Startup to mid-market | Startup to mid-market |
| Best industries | Medical devices, Diagnostics, Connected devices | MedTech, IVD & lab devices, Robotics & industrial |
| Best use cases | Embedded Linux firmware development needing a dedicated, remote-first team, Production-ready firmware handoff for a connected medical device | Hiring senior technical judgment directly, without management layers, for a MedTech or IVD device, Compliance-aware design consulting for a robotics or industrial product |
| Typical project type | Project-based firmware development | Project-based consulting and development |
Dojo Five vs Ripcord Designs: 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 |
| 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 |
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 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.
Decision matrix: Dojo Five vs Ripcord Designs
| 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 Ripcord Designs (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: Dojo Five vs Ripcord Designs
| Use case | Dojo Five fit | Ripcord Designs 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 senior technical judgment directly, without management layers, for a MedTech or IVD device | Limited | Strong | Ripcord Designs |
| Compliance-aware design consulting for a robotics or industrial product | Limited | Strong | Ripcord Designs |
| Fixed-price build | Limited | Limited | Both equally |
| Staff augmentation | Limited | Limited | Both equally |
Verdict: Dojo Five vs Ripcord Designs
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.
Ripcord Designs (3.8/5) is worth a look if you need compliance-aware design consulting for a robotics or industrial product. If your situation matches that, Ripcord Designs is a competitive option.
Related comparisons
Dojo Five vs Ripcord Designs FAQ
Is Dojo Five better than Ripcord Designs?
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. Ripcord Designs's strongest advantage: founder background as an Engineering Director at a named prior employer (Broadcast Sports) gives its origin story specificity.
How do Dojo Five and Ripcord Designs differ in pricing?
Dojo Five uses project-based firmware engagements pricing. Ripcord Designs uses project-based electronics and firmware consulting 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 Ripcord Designs?
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 Ripcord Designs?
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. 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. 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 MedTech, IVD & lab devices).
Verify all details directly with each developer before making a decision.