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ESP32 puts WiFi and BLE on one chip. Making them coexist cleanly is the real work.

Q: Can needCode develop firmware on Espressif ESP32 silicon?

Yes - needCode develops on the ESP32 families (classic, S2/S3, C3/C6 RISC-V, and H-series 802.15.4) using ESP-IDF, covering WiFi, BLE, coexistence, provisioning, OTA, and application firmware. The team includes engineers who previously shipped products at Espressif, plus multi-protocol coexistence as a core competence and a dedicated power lab. Engagements start with an NDA and a scoping call.

Q: Can you make WiFi and BLE coexist properly on one ESP32?

Yes - WiFi+BLE coexistence is the central ESP32 engineering challenge and a named needCode competence: both radios share the same 2.4 GHz front end and radio time, so without careful time-management they desense each other and connections drop under real traffic. needCode has shipped multi-protocol coexistence with runtime switching, and tunes ESP32 coexistence as engineering rather than a config flag. This is where combo products most often stall.

Q: What is needCode's relationship with Espressif?

needCode is not a corporate partner of Espressif - its named silicon partnership is with Qorvo. What needCode brings to ESP32 projects is engineer pedigree: team members who previously built and shipped products at Espressif, plus WiFi/BLE coexistence depth, a dedicated power lab, and secure connected-product engineering. For an ESP32 product, that inside platform knowledge is the capability that matters.

Q: Can you hit our battery-life target on an ESP32 product?

Battery life is validated, not estimated - and it's harder on ESP32 because WiFi is a power-hungry radio. needCode measures current draw on instruments in a dedicated power lab, then optimises through duty-cycle management, deep-sleep engineering, and BLE-for-control / WiFi-for-bursts architectures. WiFi is the power villain in most ESP32 battery designs, and hitting a multi-year target under real conditions is engineering, not a datasheet number.

Q: Do you work with ESP-IDF?

Yes - needCode works in ESP-IDF (Espressif's FreeRTOS-based framework) across the ESP32 families, and in Zephyr where a design calls for it. Arduino-ESP32 is fine for prototyping, but production connected products need ESP-IDF-level control over WiFi, coexistence, power, and security. The team works at that production level, from the inside of the framework.

Q: Can you build secure provisioning and OTA on ESP32?

Yes - secure WiFi provisioning and robust OTA with rollback are core to shipping a connected ESP32 product, and needCode builds them to production security standards rather than demo standards: encrypted provisioning, signed firmware, atomic updates that survive a dropped connection, and TLS cloud connectivity. These are exactly the layers a prototype skips and a shipped product can't.

Q: Can you build Matter or Thread products on Espressif silicon?

Yes - Espressif's 802.15.4 parts (ESP32-H series) and the C6 bring Thread and Zigbee to the platform for Matter, and needCode handles commissioning, Thread networking, and the coexistence of running these alongside WiFi and BLE. Matter-over-Thread and Matter-over-WiFi are both in scope, through to certification via the Standards & Certification service.

Q: Can you run edge AI on ESP32-S3?

Yes - the ESP32-S3's vector instructions enable on-device inference, and needCode develops edge-AI firmware for wake-word, sensor-classification, and vision-lite models running next to the radio, using the wireless link to offload heavier processing to the cloud. Edge AI plus connectivity on one low-cost chip is a distinctive ESP32-S3 capability, and the split between on-device and cloud is an architecture decision needCode helps make.

Q: How does ESP32 compare to Nordic or Silicon Labs for our product?

It depends on your connectivity needs: ESP32 is the default when you need WiFi (with BLE alongside) on a low-cost SoC; Nordic's nRF is BLE-first with an excellent SDK; Silicon Labs' EFR32 leads on Zigbee and concurrent multi-protocol. If WiFi is in the requirement, ESP32 is usually in the shortlist. needCode ships on all three and advises from your actual requirements in a feasibility consultation, with no incentive to steer toward one vendor.

Q: How is needCode different from a general firmware agency for Espressif work?

Many shops can get an ESP32 prototype talking to the cloud; the difference shows up in the hard layers - WiFi+BLE coexistence that holds under load, a battery target hit with WiFi in the loop, and secure provisioning and OTA. needCode brings engineers who shipped at Espressif, proven multi-protocol coexistence, a dedicated power lab, and ISO 9001 delivery - depth beyond writing ESP-IDF application code against the examples.

Espressif's ESP32 is the world's default WiFi-plus-BLE SoC - which is why so many connected products start there, and why so many hit the same wall: two radios sharing one 2.4 GHz front end, a power budget that WiFi blows through, and provisioning and OTA that have to be secure. needCode brings WiFi, BLE, and coexistence engineering to ESP32 - with engineers who shipped inside Espressif, a dedicated power lab, and multi-protocol coexistence as a core competence. The combo SoC, made to behave.

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The Espressif silicon we work on

We work with Industry Leaders

One chip, two radios, one 2.4 GHz front end. That's the whole challenge.

ESP32 is popular for exactly the right reason: WiFi and Bluetooth on one low-cost SoC with a huge ecosystem, so a connected prototype comes together fast. The wall is coexistence. WiFi and BLE share the same 2.4 GHz band and, on ESP32, the same radio time - so without careful time-management they desense each other, connections drop, and throughput collapses under real conditions. WiFi is also a power-hungry radio, so a battery product has to manage duty cycle aggressively. And a connected device lives or dies on secure provisioning and OTA, which the prototype rarely gets right.

needCode brings that coexistence and power engineering to ESP32. Multi-protocol coexistence is a named competence - proven on a single chip running two protocols with runtime switching - battery targets are measured in a dedicated power lab, and secure provisioning and OTA are core to how we ship connected products. The team includes engineers who shipped inside Espressif, so the ESP-IDF platform is understood from the inside, not from the examples folder.

Inside knowledge, on the team

Engineers who shipped products at Espressif - the ESP-IDF platform understood from the inside, not from the examples repo.

Coexistence, engineered

WiFi and BLE sharing one 2.4 GHz front end - time-management and desense mitigation so both radios actually work.

Power and security, handled

WiFi's power cost managed in a dedicated lab, and secure provisioning and OTA built in - the parts a prototype skips.

The Espressif silicon we work on

The ESP32 families and ESP-IDF - from the classic combo SoC to the AI-capable and low-power variants.

ESP32 (Classic) & ESP32-S Series

The original WiFi+BLE combo SoC and the S-series (ESP32-S2 WiFi, ESP32-S3 with WiFi+BLE and AI acceleration) - the silicon behind a huge share of connected products. The S3's vector instructions bring edge AI onto the same chip as the radio.

BLE

ESP32-C Series (RISC-V)

The cost- and power-optimised RISC-V line (ESP32-C3 and siblings) - WiFi and BLE 5 in a smaller, cheaper package, plus parts adding Thread/Zigbee for Matter. The volume-product and Matter-endpoint silicon.

Multi-Protocol / Coexistence

ESP32-H Series & 802.15.4

The 802.15.4 parts (ESP32-H series) bringing Thread and Zigbee to the Espressif family - the multi-protocol and Matter direction, alongside the WiFi/BLE core. needCode's multi-protocol depth covers the coexistence this introduces.

Multi-Protocol / Coexistence

ESP-IDF & Coexistence

Beyond UWB: Qorvo's connectivity SoCs with ConcurrentConnect™ technology for simultaneous protocol operation - the silicon behind our shipped dual-protocol BLE + Zigbee product work, and the platform story for Matter-era devices.

Platform Bring-Up & SDK

Building a WiFi+BLE product on ESP32?

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What we build on Espressif silicon

The full stack of ESP32 engagements, centred on the WiFi, BLE, coexistence, and connected-product work the platform demands.

WiFi + BLE Coexistence Firmware

Getting both radios to work on one ESP32 without desensing each other - time-management, coexistence tuning, and connection stability under real traffic, from a team with proven multi-protocol coexistence experience. This is where combo products stall.

Multi-Protocol / Coexistence

WiFi

Connected Firmware, Provisioning & OTA

The connected-product layer a prototype skips - secure WiFi provisioning, robust OTA with rollback, and cloud connectivity - built to production and security standards, not demo standards.

OTA Update Systems

Secure Device Provisioning

Ultra-Low-Power Design

Taming WiFi's power cost on a battery ESP32 product - duty-cycle management, deep-sleep engineering, and BLE-for-control / WiFi-for-bursts architectures, measured in a dedicated power lab. WiFi is the power villain in most ESP32 battery designs.

BLE Power Optimization Lab

Edge AI on ESP32-S3

On-device inference on the ESP32-S3's AI acceleration - wake-word, sensor, and vision-lite models running next to the radio, with the wireless link used to offload heavier work. Edge AI plus connectivity on one low-cost chip.

The combo platform, known from the inside

Engineers who shipped at Espressif

needCode's team includes engineers who previously built and shipped products at Espressif - ESP-IDF platform knowledge from having worked inside it, not from the examples folder.

Coexistence is a named competence

WiFi and BLE on one 2.4 GHz front end is where ESP32 products break - and needCode has shipped multi-protocol coexistence with runtime switching, so the concurrency is engineered, not hoped for.

WiFi's power cost, measured

A dedicated BLE Power Optimization Lab means battery targets on ESP32 are validated on instruments - critical when WiFi, the power-hungriest radio in the design, is in the loop.

Connected-product discipline, secured

Secure provisioning, OTA with rollback, and ISO 9001 delivery - the production and security layers that separate a shipped connected device from a working prototype.

Four ways to bring needCode in

From a feasibility question to a standing team. We match the engagement to where your ESP32 project is.

01 Feasibility & Architecture Consultation

Duration:
2-4 weeks
Best for:
Validating an ESP32 part and radio/power architecture - WiFi+BLE coexistence, battery budget, connectivity - measured on hardware
Deliverable:
Feasibility assessment on real silicon, architecture recommendation, coexistence and power findings, leadership readout

02 Firmware & Coexistence Build

Duration:
Phased
Best for:
ESP32 firmware in ESP-IDF - WiFi, BLE, coexistence, provisioning, OTA, and the application code your product ships
Deliverable:
Working firmware on your hardware, coexistence and power validation, test harness, documentation

03 Power, Security & Certification Hardening

Duration:
Phased
Best for:
Hitting the battery target, hardening provisioning and OTA, and clearing WiFi/BLE certification
Deliverable:
Lab-measured power results, secure provisioning/OTA, pre-certification testing, qualification support

04 Embedded Team

Duration:
Multi-year, retainer-based
Best for:
Companies that want standing ESP32 and wireless depth inside their programme
Deliverable:
An embedded team in your cadence - the delivery model behind an 8-year silicon-scale programme

What we ship on

The Espressif stack a connected product actually combines - silicon, radios, coexistence, and cloud.

Espressif silicon

ESP32 (classic)

ESP32-S2 / S3

ESP32-C3 / C6 (RISC-V

ESP32-H (802.15.4)

Protocols

WiFi (2.4 GHz, WiFi 6 on newer parts)

Bluetooth LE

Bluetooth mesh

WiFi + BLE coexistence

Thread / Zigbee / Matter (on 802.15.4 parts)

SDK & platforms

ESP-IDF (FreeRTOS

Zephyr

Arduino-ESP32

Connected layer

Secure provisioning

OTA with rollback

MQTT / cloud connectivity

TLS

Power & edge

Duty-cycle & deep-sleep engineering

BLE Power Optimization Lab

ESP32-S3 on-device inference

Quality & tooling

Automated PTS qualification

board-matrix CI

HIL rigs

ISO 9001 delivery discipline

Case studies

needCode's deepest public proof is on UWB and BLE silicon - shown here honestly, as evidence of wireless and coexistence depth that transfers to ESP32, not a named Espressif programme.

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.

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.

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

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