Oxalis Design vs Lobaro GmbH: full comparison for 2026
Quick verdict
Oxalis Design (4.0/5) edges ahead of Lobaro GmbH (3.8/5) overall. Oxalis Design is the better choice for very small teams wanting direct, ongoing access to the founding engineers. Lobaro GmbH is the stronger option for teams needing deep LoRaWAN and low-power wide-area network specialists. The right choice depends on your project size, budget, and required tech stack.
Oxalis Design vs Lobaro GmbH: head-to-head summary
| Criterion | Oxalis Design | Lobaro GmbH |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2019 | 2012 |
| HQ | Bristol, UK | Hamburg, Germany |
| Team size | 2–10 | 15 |
| Rating | 4.0 / 5 | 3.8 / 5 |
| Primary differentiator | Founder-led team where both founders remain personally involved in client engineering work, not just management | LoRa Alliance membership and Nordic Semiconductor design partner status with a 15-person team built around LPWAN protocol depth |
| Pricing model | Project-based electronics and embedded engagements | Project-based IoT firmware and platform engagements |
| Min. engagement | Not published | Not published |
| Primary tech stack | C, C++, RF Design | LoRa, LoRaWAN, Sigfox |
| Industries served | Medical devices, Consumer electronics, Industrial | Industrial IoT, Utility metering, Environmental monitoring |
Oxalis Design vs Lobaro GmbH: overview
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.
Lobaro GmbH
Lobaro GmbH was founded in Hamburg in 2012 by Tobias Rohde and has grown to around 15 people, a design partner of Nordic Semiconductor and a member of the LoRa Alliance. That small, focused size means a hiring buyer working with Lobaro is working with a meaningful fraction of the entire firm's engineering capacity on any given engagement, not a rotating slice of a much larger organization. The team's protocol depth spans LoRa, LoRaWAN, Sigfox, LTE, and wireless M-Bus, a specific low-power wide-area networking specialty built over 13 years.
Services and capabilities: Oxalis Design vs Lobaro GmbH
| Capability | Oxalis Design | Lobaro GmbH |
|---|---|---|
| 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: Oxalis Design vs Lobaro GmbH
| Framework / platform | Oxalis Design | Lobaro GmbH |
|---|---|---|
| C | ✓ | ✓ |
| C++ | ✓ | N/A |
| FreeRTOS | N/A | N/A |
| Zephyr | N/A | N/A |
| FPGA | N/A | N/A |
| Embedded Linux | N/A | N/A |
| LVGL | N/A | N/A |
| AWS IoT | N/A | N/A |
| ARM Cortex-M | N/A | N/A |
Pricing comparison: Oxalis Design vs Lobaro GmbH
| Criterion | Oxalis Design | Lobaro GmbH |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum engagement | Not published | Not published |
| Engagement models | Project-based engineering, concept through pilot build | Project-based IoT firmware and platform development |
| Rate transparency | Not public | Not public |
| Price tier | Mid-market | Mid-market |
Target audience comparison: Oxalis Design vs Lobaro GmbH
| Dimension | Oxalis Design | Lobaro GmbH |
|---|---|---|
| Best company size | Startup to mid-market | Startup to mid-market |
| Best industries | Medical devices, Consumer electronics, Industrial | Industrial IoT, Utility metering, Environmental monitoring |
| Best use cases | Hiring a very small team where the founders personally do the engineering, RF and firmware co-design for a new connected consumer device | Hiring a specialized LoRaWAN team for an industrial monitoring deployment, Wireless M-Bus firmware development for a utility metering product |
| Typical project type | Project-based engineering, concept through pilot build | Project-based IoT firmware and platform development |
Oxalis Design vs Lobaro GmbH: pros and cons
| 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 |
| Lobaro GmbH | |
|---|---|
| + | LoRa Alliance membership and Nordic Semiconductor design partner status verify its low-power wide-area networking credentials |
| + | A team of around 15 means a client's engagement represents a substantial share of the firm's total capacity, not a thin slice |
| + | 13 years of operating history with a consistent focus on industrial IoT sensor and gateway firmware |
| + | Received public innovation funding through IFB Hamburg's InnoRampUp programme, an independently verifiable signal of institutional confidence |
| - | A team of around 15 people is small relative to industrial IoT programs requiring firmware across many product lines at once |
| - | LPWAN protocol focus is a narrower fit for firmware projects centered on Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or cellular broadband instead |
| - | No published pricing or minimum engagement figure |
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.
Who should choose Lobaro GmbH?
A typical fit: hiring a specialized LoRaWAN team for an industrial monitoring deployment.
LoRa Alliance membership and Nordic Semiconductor design partner status with a 15-person team built around LPWAN protocol depth. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed. Works best with clients in Industrial IoT, Utility metering, Environmental monitoring.
Decision matrix: Oxalis Design vs Lobaro GmbH
| 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: Oxalis Design (Not published) vs Lobaro GmbH (Not published) |
| You need specialist depth in a specific vertical | Oxalis Design |
| 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: Oxalis Design vs Lobaro GmbH
| Use case | Oxalis Design fit | Lobaro GmbH fit | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hiring a very small team where the founders personally do the engineering | Strong | Strong | Both equally |
| RF and firmware co-design for a new connected consumer device | Strong | Limited | Oxalis Design |
| Hiring a specialized LoRaWAN team for an industrial monitoring deployment | Strong | Strong | Both equally |
| Wireless M-Bus firmware development for a utility metering product | Limited | Strong | Lobaro GmbH |
| Fixed-price build | Limited | Limited | Both equally |
| Staff augmentation | Limited | Limited | Both equally |
Verdict: Oxalis Design vs Lobaro GmbH
Oxalis Design (4.0/5) is the stronger overall choice for most Embedded Firmware Development projects. Founder-led team where both founders remain personally involved in client engineering work, not just management.
Lobaro GmbH (3.8/5) is worth a look if you need wireless M-Bus firmware development for a utility metering product. If your situation matches that, Lobaro GmbH is a competitive option.
Related comparisons
Oxalis Design vs Lobaro GmbH FAQ
Is Oxalis Design better than Lobaro GmbH?
Oxalis Design (4.0/5) scores higher overall, but "better" depends on your use case. Oxalis Design's strongest advantage: both founders remain personally involved in engineering work, not just business development. Lobaro GmbH's strongest advantage: LoRa Alliance membership and Nordic Semiconductor design partner status verify its low-power wide-area networking credentials.
How do Oxalis Design and Lobaro GmbH differ in pricing?
Oxalis Design uses project-based electronics and embedded engagements pricing. Lobaro GmbH uses project-based iot firmware and platform engagements pricing. Neither firm publishes a full rate card; a discovery call is required for project-specific quotes.
Which is better for enterprise: Oxalis Design or Lobaro GmbH?
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 Oxalis Design and Lobaro GmbH?
Oxalis Design's primary differentiator is: founder-led team where both founders remain personally involved in client engineering work, not just management. Lobaro GmbH's primary differentiator is: LoRa Alliance membership and Nordic Semiconductor design partner status with a 15-person team built around LPWAN protocol depth. They also differ in team size (2–10 vs 15), minimum engagement (Not published vs Not published), and primary industries served (Medical devices, Consumer electronics vs Industrial IoT, Utility metering).
Verify all details directly with each developer before making a decision.