Tri-Star Design
Tri-Star Design is a Hopkinton, MA-based turn-key product design services firm providing electronic, mechanical, software, FPGA, and PCB engineering for medical device, robotics, military, warehouse automation, biosensor, and consumer product clients. ISO 13485:2016 certified and founder-owned since 1991.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1991
- HeadquartersHopkinton, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Tri-Star Design does
Tri-Star Design, Inc. is a private professional engineering services firm founded in 1991 and headquartered in Hopkinton, Massachusetts. The company provides turn-key product design and development across electronic, mechanical, and software disciplines, with named expertise in PCB design, FPGA development (Xilinx Alliance Program certified), signal integrity analysis, embedded software (VxWorks, QNX, Linux), and mechanical/industrial design through in-house prototyping. Its core proprietary technology asset is an Electrochemical and Bio-Impedance Wireless Development Platform built around the Analog Devices ADPD4100 multi-modal sensor front end, supporting potentiostat measurement methods (Cyclic Voltammetry, EIS, Square Wave Voltammetry) on a 1"x1.5" PCB footprint for biosensor and wearable physiological monitoring applications.
The company serves medical device, robotics and automation, military/defense, warehouse automation, biosensor development, and consumer product clients. ISO 13485:2016 certification (initially obtained November 2021, renewed November 2024) positions the firm for regulated medical device engagements, and stated ITAR capability supports defense work. Revenue is generated through fixed-price or hourly professional services engagements, team or individual assignments, and on-site or off-site delivery models, with operational ramp through third-party contract manufacturing partners for PCB assembly, box-build, and cable assembly.
Tri-Star's distribution relies on direct enterprise field sales and inside sales (Senior Account Manager Tricia Shamus), supported by certified third-party developer status with Analog Devices, NXP, Texas Instruments, DigiKey, Xilinx/AMD, and Microchip Technology. Strategic alliances include morpheusTEK (robotics and industrial automation, September 2023) and PDD Innovation (digital healthcare, April 2022). The firm is founder-owned and operated by President and CEO Randall J. McDonald, who has led the business since inception, and operates without disclosed outside capital, parent company, or subsidiary structure.
Tri-Star Design firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Tri-Star Design
- Legal name
- Tri-Star Design, Inc.
- Website
- https://tristardes.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1991
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Tri-Star Design is a Hopkinton, MA-based turn-key product design services firm providing electronic, mechanical, software, FPGA, and PCB engineering for medical device, robotics, military, warehouse automation, biosensor, and consumer product clients. ISO 13485:2016 certified and founder-owned since 1991.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Tri-Star Design industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Engineering Design Services
- NAICS
- Industrial Design Services (541420), Industrial Design Services (54142)
- SIC
- Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Instruments For Meas & Testing Of Electricity & Elec Signals (3825)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Military Power Supplies, RF/Microwave Components & Ruggedized Electronics (IMABAGAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Wearable Computers (Industrial Smart Glasses/Wrist/Arm-Mount) (HDACALAH)
Keywords
Where Tri-Star Design is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hopkinton
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Tri-Star Design business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Professional Design Services: Tri-Star Design generates revenue through professional engineering design services. They offer fixed price or hourly rate engagements, team projects or individual assignments. Services include electronic design, mechanical design, software/firmware development, FPGA design, and PCB design services.
- Turn-key Operations and Manufacturing: The company provides manufacturing and supply chain operations including quick-turn PCB assembly, box-build, cable assembly, and production manufacturing through third-party contract manufacturing partners.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Fixed Price Project Engagement |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Hourly Rate Engagement |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Tri-Star Design product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Tri-Star Design provides turn-key electronic, mechanical, and software product design and development services for medical devices, robotics, military, warehouse automation, and consumer products. The firm delivers fixed-price or hourly-rate engineering engagements covering electronic hardware, FPGA and PCB design, embedded software/firmware, mechanical and industrial design, and biosensor development, and operates turn-key operations that transition designs into production via contract manufacturing partners. A proprietary Electrochemical and Bio-Impedance Wireless Development Platform supports ISO 13485-compliant biosensor product development.
Product overview
Tri-Star Design is a product design and development services company founded in 1991, offering comprehensive engineering services across electronic, mechanical, and software disciplines. Their core offerings include a proprietary Electrochemical and Bio-Impedance Wireless Development Platform — a miniature biosensor platform supporting potentiostat measurements (Cyclic Voltammetry, Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy, Square Wave Voltammetry) — complemented by specialized service offerings in Medical Device Design (ISO 13485 certified), Robotic Design and Development, Electronic/PCB/FPGA Design, Software/Firmware Development, Mechanical & Industrial Design, Turn-key Operations, Biosensor Product Development, Military Products, Warehouse Automation, and Consumer Product Design. The company operates as a single unified services organization rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture, with each service discipline offered both independently and as part of integrated turn-key product development engagements.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Electrochemical and Bio-Impedance Wireless Development Platform A proprietary biosensor development platform supporting high precision electrochemical and bio-impedance measurements, featuring potentiostat methods (Cyclic Voltammetry, Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy, Square Wave Voltammetry), low power digital signal processing, and wireless interfaces on a miniature 1" x 1.5" PCB footprint. Built around the Analog Devices ADPD4100 multi-modal sensor front end measuring PPG, ECG, and bioimpedance parameters. Used by Tri-Star and its partners to develop ISO 13485-compliant wearable and point-of-care biosensor products.
- Medical Device Design and Development Services ISO 13485:2016-certified multidisciplinary design services for medical device companies, covering motor drive units, bioimpedance, biopotential, optical technologies, and point-of-care diagnostic devices. Project experience spans EEG equipment, defibrillators, endoscopy, surgical and vascular robotics, ambulatory infusion pumps, and medication adherence systems, with compliance support for IEC 60601-1, ISO 62304, and ISO 14971.
- Robotic Design and Development Services Full suite of electrical, mechanical, and software engineering services for robotic systems including real-time control of motor drives, laser systems, battery charging, power control, and actuator/arm control. Applications include warehouse automation mobile robots, automated guided vehicles, medical robotics, agricultural material handling robots, and wafer handling robots for semiconductor processing.
- Electronic Design Services Complete electronic hardware design services including FPGA design (Verilog/VHDL), PCB design, microcontroller and microprocessor design, motor drive design, wireless design, power supply development, and signal integrity analysis. Served industries include robotics, medical, wireless, military, and consumer products.
- PCB Design Services Full range of PCB design services including single-sided, double-sided, and multi-layer PCBs, rigid and flex circuits, high-density design, impedance control, RF design, EMI protection, and signal integrity analysis. Supports Altium, Cadence Allegro, and Mentor Graphics PADS tool chains.
- FPGA Design Services Full lifecycle FPGA development services from concept through production, including requirements planning, RTL coding (Verilog and VHDL), verification, synthesis, timing closure, and Xilinx Alliance Program certified support using the Vivado tool chain.
- Software Design Services Embedded software and firmware development services covering device drivers, kernel development, middleware, applications, GUI development, and real-time operating systems (VxWorks, QNX, Linux) for medical, industrial, and military applications.
- Mechanical and Industrial Design Services Mechanical engineering services including solid modeling, industrial design, rapid prototyping, plastics and sheet metal design, thermal analysis, FEA, and 3D printing with in-house prototyping capabilities.
- Turn-key Operations Comprehensive product development from concept to production including functional specifications, prototyping, debugging, environmental testing, compliance, and manufacturing transfer. Provides PCB assembly, box-build, and cable harness capabilities through third-party contract manufacturing partners.
- Biosensor Product Development Services ISO 13485-certified biosensor development services for wearable sensors, bioreceptors, and In-Vitro Diagnostic point-of-care products, utilizing electrochemical sensors and low-power wireless communication for real-time healthcare data collection.
- Military Products and Technology Services Defense design services including ruggedized systems, high-speed data acquisition, FPGA design, RF applications, space-grade board design, and ITAR-compliant manufacturing for DoD prime contractors and SBIR projects. Covers biometric intelligence, iris recognition, shooter detection, terrestrial and wireless communication, radar systems, and FPGA mixed-signal multi-sensor boards.
- Warehouse Automation Design Services Warehouse automation system and sub-system design including automated storage and retrieval systems, autonomous mobile robots, vision-based picking, collaborative robotics integration, and warehouse management software integration for logistics and warehouse operators.
- Consumer Product Design Services Consumer product development including cost-effective electronics, plastic and sheet metal enclosures, wireless designs, extended battery life management, and COGS optimization for infant care, environmental, healthcare, HVAC, automotive, and agricultural applications.
Quantifiable outcome
- Reduced development time through proven design processes and rapid prototyping capabilities
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Tri-Star Design
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Tri-Star Design technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Tri-Star Design partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- morpheusTEKcoreIndustry-leading partnership for robotics and industrial automation market. morpheusTEK is a leading supplier of high-quality, cost-competitive perception sensors and connectivity solutions including LiDAR and 3D camera products. Together they offer unique component solutions as well as turn-key design and development services enabling clients to take advantage of off-the-shelf and custom technologies.
- PDD InnovationcoreHealthcare partnership that accelerates innovation, design and development for the rapidly expanding digital healthcare market. PDD is a product and experience innovation consultancy delivering meaningful innovation in healthcare for over 40 years. The integrated team includes researchers, UX/UI designers, mechanical, electrical and software engineers with expertise in disease management, portable point of care and wearable physiological monitoring products.
- Analog DevicescoreThrough Analog Devices Partner Program, Tri-Star provides turn-key design support for the ADPD4100 multi-modal sensor front end that measures and synchronizes several physiological parameters including PPG, ECG and bioimpedance.
- Analog DevicescoreCollaboration through Analog Devices Design Partner Program combining Tri-Star Design's electronic design expertise with Analog Devices' world-leading precision impedance to digital converter products to solve demanding bioimpedance and electrochemical measurement challenges in healthcare.
- Analog DevicescoreCertified third party developer status for Analog Devices, providing expertise on the latest devices and implementation techniques for healthcare and medical device applications.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Tri-Star Design competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sunrise Labs: Sterling Heights, MI-based medical device design and development firm specializing in regulated product engineering. Comparable in size and vertical focus to Tri-Star's ISO 13485-certified medical device practice with similar turn-key electronic, mechanical, and software service offerings.
- DornerWorks: Grand Rapids, MI-based embedded software and FPGA design services firm with explicit medical device and industrial automation practices. Comparable to Tri-Star's FPGA, signal integrity, and medical-design service mix, with similar scale and Xilinx/ADi partnerships.
- StarFish Medical: Toronto-based medical device design and development services firm serving OEMs with full-lifecycle engineering. Comparable to Tri-Star's medical device vertical; both emphasize regulated design processes and offer turn-key mechanical/electronic/software development.
- Synapse Design: Campbell, CA-based ASIC/FPGA and embedded design services firm serving semiconductor, networking, and consumer markets. Comparable to Tri-Star's electronic and FPGA design practices with similar turn-key engineering and verification service offerings.
- Cardinal Peak: Boulder, CO-based electronic design services firm focused on audio/video, IoT, and embedded product development. Comparable to Tri-Star's broad electronic design service line across FPGA, firmware, and PCB with similar U.S. mid-sized services model.
- Bresslergroup: Philadelphia-based product design consultancy covering industrial design, mechanical, electrical, and software engineering for medical and consumer OEMs. Comparable to Tri-Star's integrated industrial-design-plus-engineering service model.
- Sterling Medical Devices: Knoxville, TN-based medical device design and development services firm focused on FDA-regulated product engineering. Directly comparable to Tri-Star's ISO 13485 medical device practice with similar full-lifecycle electronic, mechanical, and software service offerings.
- Mistral Solutions: Bangalore, India-based product design and engineering services firm covering embedded, FPGA, and defense systems design. Comparable to Tri-Star's electronic and defense service lines with similar embedded/FPGA capabilities and ITAR-aware workflow.
- Witekio: Lyon, France-based embedded software and IoT systems design services firm. Comparable to Tri-Star's software/firmware and FPGA service lines, addressing similar medical and industrial OEMs with RTOS and embedded development expertise.
Broad incumbents
- Cambridge Consultants: Cambridge, UK-based large product innovation consultancy serving medical, defense, and wireless clients. Comparable space but materially larger and broader portfolio than Tri-Star, operating as a full-service product development incumbent rather than a focused U.S. niche firm.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Tri-Star Design social profiles
Digital presenceTri-Star Design compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Tri-Star Design financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Tri-Star Design leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Tri-Star Design funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Tri-Star Design M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Tri-Star Design
What does Tri-Star Design do?
Tri-Star Design provides turn-key electronic, mechanical, and software product design and development services for medical devices, robotics, military, warehouse automation, and consumer products. The firm delivers fixed-price or hourly-rate engineering engagements covering electronic hardware, FPGA and PCB design, embedded software/firmware, mechanical and industrial design, and biosensor development, and operates turn-key operations that transition designs into production via contract manufacturing partners. A proprietary Electrochemical and Bio-Impedance Wireless Development Platform supports ISO 13485-compliant biosensor product development.
Is Tri-Star Design a public or private company?
Tri-Star Design is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Tri-Star Design founded?
Tri-Star Design was founded in 1991. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Tri-Star Design based?
Tri-Star Design is headquartered in Hopkinton, United States, in the North America region.
How does Tri-Star Design make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Professional Design Services are the primary driver. The others are turn-key Operations and Manufacturing.
Who are Tri-Star Design's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sunrise Labs, DornerWorks, StarFish Medical, Synapse Design, Cardinal Peak, Bresslergroup, Sterling Medical Devices, Mistral Solutions and Witekio. Cambridge Consultants is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Tri-Star Design have an API?
No public API is recorded for Tri-Star Design.
What industry is Tri-Star Design in?
Tri-Star Design's product category is Engineering Design Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMABAGAJ, Military Power Supplies, RF/Microwave Components & Ruggedized Electronics, with a secondary code of HDACALAH, Wearable Computers (Industrial Smart Glasses/Wrist/Arm-Mount). Its NAICS code is 541420 and its SIC code is 3823.