Specialized R&D Staff Augmentation for Microcontroller Manufacturers

Deploy cohesive "Family Units" of senior embedded engineers to eliminate the talent bottleneck and secure your R&D roadmap.

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We work with Industry Leaders

The Engineering talent gap is stalling roadmap delivery

Demand for connected silicon is peaking, but the talent to deliver it is vanishing. Semiconductor manufacturers are trapped between three structural failures:

#1 Talent Scarcity

Hiring for niche competencies (UWB stack, Zephyr drivers) is administratively paralyzing.

50–70 Interviews:
The effort required to find a single qualified embedded engineer.
350+ Candidates:
The volume internal leaders must process to build one functional pod of 5 engineers.

#2 Operational Risk

Traditional outsourcing vendors provide "ticket-takers"—passive resources who blindly execute specifications.

The Consequence:
"Dead-end code" that functions in isolation but fails certification or real-world interoperability, requiring massive refactoring.

#3 Financial Rigidity

Scaling teams in US/EU tech hubs locks budgets into inflexible Capital Expenditure (Capex).

High TCO:
A senior engineer in the US costs ~$375k annually (salary + overhead).
Low Agility:
Fixed headcount reduces your ability to navigate market cycles.

The solution: "Family Units"

We do not lease freelancers. We deploy pre-integrated engineering teams. needCode provides specific, cohesive units from Central Europe that function as a seamless extension of your organization.

01 Zero-Churn Continuity

Our teams have a shared professional history of 5–8 years.

Retention: The engineers who write the code are the same ones who maintain it.
Stability: In our 5-year partnership with Qorvo, we scaled to 30 FTEs with only 4 departures.

02 High-Agency Culture

We operate on ownership, not just execution.

The Philosophy: "If we see a hole in the bridge, we don't paint the lines – we stop the traffic."
The Result: We challenge flawed specs immediately to prevent architectural failure.

03 "Day 2" Engineering

We anticipate the challenges that arise after launch.

Certification DNA: Code is designed from Day 1 to pass FiRa, Bluetooth SIG, and CSA certifications.
Field Readiness: We build for OTA updates, security patches, and long-term maintenance.

Technical Expertise

Central Europe's leading specialist in the short-range wireless stack.

Deep expertise across leading Silicon Vendors

We don't just write code; we master the silicon. Our engineering units bring years of hands-on experience with the industry's top microcontroller and wireless connectivity platforms. Whether you are building on NXP, Nordic, or ST, our team hits the ground running with deep architectural knowledge. We handle the low-level complexities – from drivers to RF stacks – across Qorvo, Texas Instruments, Silicon Labs, and Espressif, ensuring your firmware extracts every ounce of performance from the hardware.

Specialized services

Beyond staff augmentation, we solve structural R&D problems.

The "Gen 2" Accelerator

Problem:
Internal teams are consumed by maintaining "Gen 1" products, stalling innovation.

Solution:
We deploy a unit to either:

Take over Gen 1 maintenance to free your core architects.
Build the Gen 2 "Greenfield" platform independently.

Protocol-Aware QA

Problem:
Standard QA lacks the physics knowledge to test RF protocols.

Solution:
We deploy engineers who build custom "sniffers" and automated test benches. We isolate failures between the silicon, the stack, and the counter-party device.

Case studies

Qorvo: RF Leadership

Context: Rapid scaling for new chipset bring-up.

Scale: Grew from <10 to 30 FTEs.
Output: Supported bring-up of 9 new hardware platforms (SDKs, Drivers, Stacks).
Retention: Zero-churn core team retained for 5+ years.

Dedicated Development Center for RF Solutions

Bluetooth Mesh Smart Lighting Control System

Smart Lighting: Core R&D Extension

Context: Client needed deep, specialized expertise to pivot from proprietary tech to a new global standard.

Service: Deployed a dedicated squad of embedded engineers to function as the client's core R&D team.
Output: Co-authored official Bluetooth SIG protocols and delivered the world’s first certified BLE Mesh stack.
Value: Enabled the client to secure Series A funding and defined the industry standard for smart buildings.

Creative Werks: Innovation rescue

Context: Hardware obsolescence threatened production shutdown.

Action: Full-stack takeover (PCB redesign + Firmware + Mobile App).
ROI: 1230% ($1.6M value generated).
Speed: Payback period of 2–3 months.

NeedCode-case study - IoT Solution for Boat Lift Modernization - cover2s

PowerPollen: AgTech automation

Context: Lack of internal expertise stalled a critical automation project.

Action: Re-architected system using unified MCU and ISOBUS standards.
ROI: 13.8x ($2.9M value generated).
Impact: Enabled $1.9M increase in harvester value.

Strategic Partnership

needCode is an official business partner of Qorvo, bringing over 8 years of proven expertise and trusted service to the technology sector.

Check our performance

Members of the UWB Alliance

In 2025 we became a member of the UWB Alliance. This strategic step reinforces our commitment to pioneering Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology.

Nordic Semiconductor

needCode was approved in both – listed as a Design Partner in EMEA, and as a Solution Partner in the Bluetooth Positioning Systems category.

Read about partnership

Testimonials

“I think the key takeaway from needCode is their ability to adapt and understand the customer's requirements. That took away probably a large portion of what could have been a lot of development time and expense for both companies.”

Bob Folkestad

President at Creative Werks

“One aspect that truly sets needCode apart is its profound expertise in firmware development. Their proficiency in various programming languages, embedded systems and hardware architecture is truly impressive. When faced with difficult problems, their strong problem-solving skills and analytical mindset shine through, allowing them to overcome obstacles with remarkable ease.”

Semeh Sarhan

CEO at Xtrava

“I worked with needCode while leading the NWTN-Berlin team in 2018. A big chunk for our FW development has been outsourced to them and they had proven to iterate very quickly, following specs and deliver on time. It was great working with them. I recommend working with needCode’s team on any Embedded SW development.”

Marco Salvioli Mariani

CTO at NWTN Berlin GmbH

“needCode Team proved to be one of the best engineers I have ever met. The part I like the most about the team is the more difficult an obstacle seems to be, the more motivated they were to find a solution and a way forward.”

Szymon Słupik

CTO at Silvair

“needCode is an outstanding partner. Their quick follow-up, scalability, and extensive professional network set them apart. Their expertise in wireless technologies has been valuable, supporting us from low-level drivers to architecture discussions.”

Tim Allemeersch

Director at Qorvo, Inc.

“needCode did a great job improving the firmware of the Vai Kai connected toys and developing new features, surpassing our expectations multiple times. I would definitely recommend hiring Bartek and needCode for the embedded software projects!”

Matas Petrikas

CEO & Co-founder at Vai Kai UG

Proudly Certified for Excellence and Security

needCode is officially certified for:
ISO 9001:2015 – Quality Management
ISO/IEC 27001:2022 – Information Security

ISO certifications reflect our focus on delivering reliable IoT solutions, smart product development, and secure technology services.

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