emlix
German embedded Linux specialist serving industrial and safety-oriented sectors
What is emlix?
emlix has spent more than 20 years since its 2000 founding building embedded Linux systems for German industrial, energy, automation, medical, and safety-technology clients, serving over 350 customers from its Göttingen headquarters (with an additional Munich location) and a team of 60+ engineers. What differentiates emlix from smaller Linux boutiques on this list is scale within specialization: the team is large enough to run concurrent programs across multiple industrial clients while staying entirely focused on the embedded Linux layer, rather than diversifying into electrical design, RTOS-only bare-metal work, or unrelated verticals. For a buyer specifically weighing Linux-layer depth against team capacity, emlix sits between the smallest one-focus boutiques and the generalist engineering conglomerates.
emlix works primarily with clients in Automotive, Energy, Manufacturing/Industrial IoT, Medical devices, Safety technology sectors. Its primary differentiator is: Combines 20+ years of embedded Linux specialization with a 60+ engineer team large enough to run concurrent industrial programs.
emlix tech stack and services
| Service area |
|---|
| Embedded Linux |
| Firmware Development |
| Cybersecurity |
| Embedded Consulting |
emlix pricing
Short answer: emlix uses a fixed project, dedicated team pricing approach. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed; a discovery call is required.
| Engagement model | Typical range | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed project | From not disclosed | Well-defined scope |
| Dedicated team | Variable; depends on team size | Large programmes or team augmentation |
emlix pros and cons
| Advantages | Things to consider |
|---|---|
| +Over 350 customers served across two decades, with a customer base weighted toward German industrial, energy, and safety-critical sectors | -Focus is Linux-only — teams needing bare-metal RTOS-only work or electrical/PCB design will need to pair emlix with a second vendor |
| +60+ engineer team gives more concurrent-program capacity than the smallest boutique embedded Linux specialists | -German-market weighting in its customer base may mean less direct experience navigating non-EU regulatory environments |
| +Long-term maintenance is an explicit specialty, relevant to industrial clients with multi-decade product support commitments | -No published pricing tiers — engagement cost requires a direct scoping conversation |
emlix vs alternatives
How emlix compares to the other top Embedded Software Development companies.
| Company | Best for | Key difference | Rating | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lemberg Solutions | CTOs needing one team across hardware, firmware, and... | Owns electrical, firmware, Linux, FPGA, and cloud/edge AI in-house, backed by a certified hardware lab and named semiconductor partnerships | 4.8 | Full comparison |
| SYSGO | Aerospace, rail, and automotive teams needing SIL 4-certified... | Vendor of PikeOS, the first RTOS/hypervisor to achieve SIL 4 safety certification, now backed by Thales Group ownership | 4.6 | Full comparison |
| Pengutronix | Teams needing verifiable, upstream-contributing Linux kernel expertise. | Directly verifiable upstream Linux kernel contributions (2,500+ changes across 4,000+ files in 2023 alone) — a depth signal that's independently checkable, not marketing copy | 4.6 | Full comparison |
| DornerWorks | Aerospace and defense programs needing FPGA and hypervisor... | Narrow, verifiable specialty in FPGA co-design and Xen hypervisor work for aerospace, defense, and medical reliability requirements | 4.5 | Full comparison |
| Vector Informatik | Automotive teams standardizing ECU development on AUTOSAR tooling. | One of the primary commercial contributors to the AUTOSAR standard, pairing automotive embedded tooling with engineering services at 35+ years of history | 4.5 | Full comparison |
| Elektrobit | Automotive OEMs needing AUTOSAR and ECU software at... | Software running in 600M+ vehicles at production scale, backed by Continental's Tier 1 manufacturing relationships and standards expertise | 4.4 | Full comparison |
| Bosch Engineering | OEMs wanting Bosch-grade process discipline for automotive and... | Wholly-owned Bosch Group engineering-services subsidiary bringing Bosch's manufacturing-grade process discipline to third-party embedded programs | 4.4 | Full comparison |
| Enea | Buyers wanting a publicly-audited RTOS vendor with real-time... | Nasdaq Stockholm-listed RTOS vendor (Enea OSE) with public governance and audited financials, a trust signal private consultancies can't match | 4.3 | Full comparison |
| Witekio | Device makers wanting chip-to-cloud coverage from one European... | Covers the full chip-to-cloud stack — BSP, Android/Linux/RTOS firmware, OTA/security, and Qt/Flutter app layers — under one French team | 4.3 | Full comparison |
| Promwad | European buyers wanting hardware and firmware under one... | End-to-end European design house covering PCB, FPGA, embedded Linux, and manufacturing coordination under a single engagement | 4.2 | Full comparison |
| Sirin Software | Semiconductor teams needing multi-protocol wireless firmware depth. | Named depth across six wireless protocols (Wi-Fi, BLE, Matter, UWB, NFC, LoRaWAN) spanning Linux, Zephyr, FreeRTOS, and ThreadX | 4.2 | Full comparison |
| MicroSys Electronics | Teams needing NXP-based SoM hardware paired with Linux... | NXP Gold Partner status with a near-50-year focus specifically on Arm Cortex System-on-Modules and their Linux BSPs | 4.2 | Full comparison |
| Timesys | Programs needing long-term embedded Linux security patching and... | Nearly three-decade specialization in embedded Linux security patching and multi-year maintenance tooling, now under Lynx Software Technologies | 4.1 | Full comparison |
| ByteSnap Design | UK/EU programs needing custom board design plus a... | ISO 9001-certified UK boutique with named multi-vendor semiconductor partnerships (STMicroelectronics, NXP, Microchip, Digi, Analog Devices) and dedicated design-rescue capability | 4.1 | Full comparison |
| Klika Tech | AWS-committed architectures needing edge firmware and cloud integration... | AWS Premier Partner status specifically for edge-to-cloud IoT integration, reducing firmware/cloud interface risk on AWS-native architectures | 4.0 | Full comparison |
| Integra Sources | Early-stage teams without in-house hardware engineering to manage... | Turnkey hardware-plus-firmware delivery from a single small team, removing the need for an in-house hardware/firmware vendor coordinator | 4.0 | Full comparison |
| Softeq Development | Connected-product programs wanting hardware, firmware, and app layers... | Full-stack US firm covering PCB-to-device hardware, low-level firmware, and consumer application software under one roof | 4.0 | Full comparison |
| KPIT Technologies | Global OEM programs needing large-scale software-defined-vehicle engineering. | Publicly-listed, automotive-only embedded engineering at 12,000+ engineer scale, with a named Renault Group strategic partnership | 4.0 | Full comparison |
| Tata Elxsi | Enterprises needing automotive embedded engineering alongside media/healthcare R&D. | Broad ER&D scale (13,000+ engineers, 16 countries) spanning automotive, media/telecom, and healthcare over 35+ years | 3.9 | Full comparison |
| Data Respons | Nordic and multi-sector programs needing embedded engineering across... | Nearly 40-year Nordic embedded specialist spanning eight distinct sectors, now backed by Akkodis scale after two ownership transitions | 3.9 | Full comparison |
| Wind River | Certifiable aerospace and industrial programs standardizing on VxWorks. | Maker of VxWorks, a certified RTOS deployed in commercial and military aircraft, now majority-owned by automotive Tier 1 supplier Aptiv | 3.9 | Full comparison |
| Cyient | Aerospace and defense programs needing embedded avionics engineering... | Aerospace-focused embedded avionics practice (fly-by-wire, autopilot, collision avoidance) strengthened by the CERTON Software acquisition | 3.9 | Full comparison |
| Intellias | Automotive programs wanting proven multi-brand navigation deployment experience. | Named production deployment: navigation technology used across 10+ global car brands and 10M+ vehicles, inside a broader IT outsourcing portfolio | 3.9 | Full comparison |
| N-iX | Enterprises wanting embedded/IoT work bundled with broader cloud... | 15+ years of dedicated IoT and embedded solutions experience inside a broader custom software engineering portfolio | 3.8 | Full comparison |
| GlobalLogic | Enterprises wanting embedded work inside a Hitachi-backed digital... | Hitachi Group-owned digital engineering scale with silicon and embedded hardware/software solutions plus a named Elektrobit automotive partnership | 3.8 | Full comparison |
| Luxoft | Automotive OEMs needing infotainment and digital cockpit software... | Automotive software systems integrator with software in 50M+ vehicles, partnering with 8 of the 10 largest vehicle manufacturers, now under DXC Technology | 3.8 | Full comparison |
| QuEST Global | Multi-vertical enterprises needing embedded engineering alongside broader R&D. | Very broad engineering-services scale (90+ delivery centers, 18+ countries) offering end-to-end silicon and embedded engineering directly to chipmakers | 3.8 | Full comparison |
| Innowise | Buyers wanting embedded work bundled with broader software... | Large-scale IT outsourcing capacity with an IoT/embedded delivery line inside a much broader software portfolio | 3.8 | Full comparison |
| Avenga | Enterprises wanting IoT engineering inside a broad digital... | Broad software, data, and IoT portfolio backed by scale from consolidating multiple acquired firms since 2017 | 3.7 | Full comparison |
| Capgemini Engineering | Global enterprises needing embedded work inside a broad... | One of the largest global engineering consultancies by headcount, with embedded/electronics as one of many technical domains covered | 3.7 | Full comparison |
| LTTS | Large enterprises needing embedded engineering with public-company governance. | Publicly-listed engineering R&D scale (23,800+ engineers) backed by the L&T Group, spanning embedded, automotive, and industrial IoT | 3.7 | Full comparison |
| HCLTech | Global enterprises wanting embedded engineering as part of... | Embedded engineering delivered by the Engineering & R&D Services business unit inside one of the world's largest IT services companies | 3.7 | Full comparison |
emlix FAQ
What is emlix?
German embedded Linux specialist serving industrial and safety-oriented sectors
How much does emlix charge?
emlix uses fixed project, dedicated team pricing. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed. A discovery call is required to get project-specific quotes.
What tech stack does emlix use?
emlix works with Embedded Linux (Yocto), C/C++, Linux kernel development, BSP integration, Long-term maintenance tooling. Primary industries served include Automotive, Energy, Manufacturing/Industrial IoT, Medical devices, Safety technology.
Is emlix right for enterprise?
Industrial and safety-critical clients needing Linux depth with real team capacity. 51–200 team size. Key consideration: Focus is Linux-only — teams needing bare-metal RTOS-only work or electrical/PCB design will need to pair emlix with a second vendor.
What are the best emlix alternatives?
The best alternatives to emlix depend on your use case. Top options are:
- Lemberg Solutions: owns electrical, firmware, linux, fpga, and cloud/edge ai in-house, backed by a certified hardware lab and named semiconductor partnerships
- SYSGO: vendor of pikeos, the first rtos/hypervisor to achieve sil 4 safety certification, now backed by thales group ownership
- Pengutronix: directly verifiable upstream linux kernel contributions (2,500+ changes across 4,000+ files in 2023 alone) — a depth signal that's independently checkable, not marketing copy
Compare emlix with other Embedded Software Development companies
Verify all details directly with emlix before making a decision.