Optimal Design
Optimal Design is a US-based product engineering services firm founded in 1997 in Arlington Heights, Illinois, specializing in industrial design, hardware engineering, and embedded software for IoT and connected products. Acquired by Deloitte in May 2023, it now operates within Deloitte's broader engineering consulting services portfolio.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1997
- HeadquartersArlington Heights, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Optimal Design does
Optimal Design is a US-based product engineering services firm headquartered in Arlington Heights, Illinois, founded in 1997 by Sajid Patel (co-founder & CEO). The firm specializes in industrial design, hardware engineering, and embedded software development for physical and connected (IoT) products, serving clients that require integrated design-to-engineering capabilities across the full product development lifecycle. Its positioning is that of a specialized, mid-sized engineering services provider with a horizontal segmentation approach across product engineering use cases rather than a narrow vertical focus.
The company operates on a services-based revenue model, delivering industrial design, hardware engineering, and embedded software engagements to clients building digital and interconnected products. No public pricing, customer logos, or financial disclosures are available; the firm has historically operated with 11–50 employees. It is described as an award-winning product development and IoT solutions firm, suggesting recognized design credentials, though specific awards and patents are not enumerated in the available data.
In May 2023, Optimal Design was acquired by Deloitte, a UK-based global consulting firm, to strengthen Deloitte's engineering services portfolio with industrial design, hardware engineering, and embedded software capabilities. Following the acquisition, Optimal Design's offerings have been integrated into Deloitte's broader engineering consulting services and are now distributed through Deloitte's global enterprise client channels across multiple industries (Consumer, Industrial Products, TMT, Life Sciences, etc.). The company is currently classified as a subsidiary of a strategic operating company rather than an independent operating entity.
Optimal Design firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Optimal Design
- Website
- https://optimaldesignco.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1997
- Operating status
- Acquired
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Optimal Design is a US-based product engineering services firm founded in 1997 in Arlington Heights, Illinois, specializing in industrial design, hardware engineering, and embedded software for IoT and connected products. Acquired by Deloitte in May 2023, it now operates within Deloitte's broader engineering consulting services portfolio.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Optimal Design is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Arlington Heights
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Optimal Design business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Optimal Design product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Optimal Design is an award-winning product development and IoT solutions firm that delivers integrated industrial design, hardware engineering, and embedded software development services. The firm partners with companies to take connected products from concept through production, combining multidisciplinary engineering teams that specialize in IoT-enabled devices.
Product overview
Optimal Design was a US-based product engineering services provider acquired by Deloitte in May 2023. Following the acquisition, its capabilities in industrial design, hardware engineering, and embedded software development were integrated into Deloitte's broader engineering consulting services portfolio. The company operated as a product engineering services provider before being absorbed into Deloitte's service offerings.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Industrial Design Services End-to-end product development services spanning industrial design, hardware engineering, and embedded software development for companies building IoT-connected physical products.
Companies that use Optimal Design
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Optimal Design technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Optimal Design partnerships and signals
Strategic signalRecent moves1 record
Expansion highlights3 records
Optimal Design competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Lunar: Lunar is a Scandinavian product design and engineering firm focused on connected and consumer products (now part of McKinsey's design practice, Lunge). Comparable to Optimal Design in industrial design plus embedded engineering for IoT products.
- IDEO: IDEO is a leading design and innovation consultancy that has expanded into hardware prototyping and engineering services. Comparable to Optimal Design as a design-led firm moving into product engineering, though IDEO is significantly larger and more brand-focused.
- Teague: Teague is a design and engineering consultancy with deep capabilities in industrial design, hardware, and software for transportation, consumer, and industrial products. Comparable to Optimal Design as a multi-disciplinary product engineering firm serving large enterprise clients.
- Smart Design: Smart Design is a product design and innovation consultancy with capabilities in industrial design, user research, and engineering services. Comparable to Optimal Design in serving brand-conscious clients across consumer and commercial product categories.
- frog (Capgemini Engineering): frog is a global design and engineering firm combining industrial design, brand strategy, and product engineering. Now owned by Capgemini Engineering, frog is a direct analog: a design-led product engineering firm absorbed by a large services parent, exactly mirroring Optimal Design's positioning within Deloitte.
- Bresslergroup: Bresslergroup (now part of West Monroe) is a product design and engineering consultancy that combines industrial design, mechanical engineering, and electronics development. Highly comparable to Optimal Design in offering full-stack product engineering services to mid-market and enterprise clients.
- Synapse Product Development: Synapse Product Development provides full-stack product development services spanning industrial design, mechanical and electrical engineering, embedded software, and manufacturing support. Closely comparable to Optimal Design's integrated design-plus-engineering model.
- Whipsaw: Whipsaw is an industrial design and engineering firm specializing in consumer and commercial product design with deep hardware engineering capabilities. Comparable to Optimal Design in combining industrial design with hardware engineering for connected products.
- Ammunition Group: Ammunition is a product design and brand strategy studio that combines industrial design with engineering and digital product expertise. Comparable to Optimal Design in delivering design-forward products with embedded technology.
Broad incumbents
- Accenture Industry X: Accenture Industry X is the digital engineering and product innovation arm of Accenture, offering industrial design, IoT, connected product, and embedded engineering services at global scale. Comparable as the broader incumbent services peer that competes for the same enterprise product engineering RFPs Optimal Design now participates in via Deloitte.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Optimal Design social profiles
Digital presenceOptimal Design financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Optimal Design leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Optimal Design funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Optimal 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 Optimal Design
What does Optimal Design do?
Optimal Design is an award-winning product development and IoT solutions firm that delivers integrated industrial design, hardware engineering, and embedded software development services. The firm partners with companies to take connected products from concept through production, combining multidisciplinary engineering teams that specialize in IoT-enabled devices.
Is Optimal Design a public or private company?
Optimal Design is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently acquired.
When was Optimal Design founded?
Optimal Design was founded in 1997. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Optimal Design based?
Optimal Design is headquartered in Arlington Heights, United States, in the North America region.
Who are Optimal Design's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Lunar, IDEO, Teague, Smart Design, frog (Capgemini Engineering), Bresslergroup, Synapse Product Development, Whipsaw and Ammunition Group. Accenture Industry X is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Optimal Design have an API?
No public API is recorded for Optimal Design.