What Connected Development does

Connected Development is a U.S.-based electronics engineering design services firm that designs, prototypes, certifies, and industrializes custom wireless and IoT electronic devices. The company delivers full-lifecycle engineering capabilities across hardware, software, RF/antenna, and mechanical engineering, with ISO-9001 certified in-house services and an extensive test infrastructure that includes RF anechoic chambers, cellular/Wi-Fi/Bluetooth LE/GNSS simulators, X-ray, spectrometer, and environmental test equipment. Its flagship product is a pre-certified IoT Reference Platform built around the Silicon Labs BG21 Bluetooth SoC and Telit ME310 LTE CAT-M1/NB-IoT modem with pre-tested cloud SDKs and sensors, designed to compress time-to-market for low-power connected devices. The firm holds design partner status with Nordic Semiconductor, Silicon Labs, Semtech, and others, and is a LoRa Alliance member.

The company serves a hybrid customer base spanning early-stage startups to Fortune 500 enterprises across medical, automotive, industrial, consumer, and IoT verticals. Services are delivered through a direct, consultative enterprise sales model with project-based, quote-driven pricing on multi-year engagements, generating revenue primarily through professional services fees. Connected Development operates three U.S. offices (Cary NC, Richardson TX, Auburn Hills MI) plus an international design center, and reports 60+ design professionals supporting 750+ unique customers and 1,850+ unique projects.

The firm is wholly owned within Exponential Technology Group (XTG), part of the TTI Family of Specialists, which sits within the Berkshire Hathaway corporate ecosystem alongside TTI Inc. and Mouser Electronics. In January 2025, XTG consolidated its engineering design services firms under the Connected Development brand, unifying multiple design operations into a single entity. The legal operating entity is XTG Electronic Services, LLC, a Michigan-domiciled limited liability company.

Name

Connected Development

Legal name

XTG Electronic Services, LLC

Website

https://connecteddev.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Connected Development is a U.S. electronics engineering design services firm that designs, prototypes, certifies, and industrializes custom wireless and IoT devices for startups through Fortune 500 companies across medical, automotive, industrial, and consumer markets, operating as part of the Berkshire Hathaway-backed TTI Family of Specialists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electronics Engineering Design Services

NAICS

Radio and Television Broadcasting and Wireless Communications Equipment Manufacturing (334220), Other Communications Equipment Manufacturing (33429)

SIC

Radio & Tv Broadcasting & Communications Equipment (3663), Communications Equipment, Nec (3669)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Electronics Original Design Manufacturing (ODM) (IMAGAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Custom Application Development (Web/Mobile/Desktop) (BPAEAFAA), Wireless Interface Adapters (Wi‑Fi/Bluetooth/Cellular Modems) (HDAFAEAJ), Industrial/OT Private Connectivity (Factory, Mining, Ports) (HDAIAGAD)

Keywords

• Wireless design services
• Electronics engineering services
• IoT device design
• RF antenna engineering
• Product prototyping services

Headquarters

HQ city

Cary

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Engineering Design Services: Connected Development generates revenue through engineering design services including consulting, hardware and software design, RF/antenna custom design, certification services, and cloud services integration. Services are provided across the full product lifecycle from concept to industrialization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Connected Development provides custom electronic device design and engineering services spanning hardware, software, RF/antenna, and mechanical engineering. The firm takes products from concept through industrialization, offering in-house system design, prototyping, testing and certification, production, supply chain, and failure analysis. Its flagship commercial product is a pre-certified IoT Reference Platform built on partner silicon and cellular modules.

Product overview

Connected Development is an electronics engineering design services firm specializing in custom device development, providing expertise across hardware, software, RF, and mechanical engineering. The company offers a comprehensive suite of services including System Design, Development & Prototyping, Testing & Certification, Production, Supply Chain, and Failure Analysis. The flagship product is the IoT Reference Platform—a pre-certified reference design featuring Silicon Labs' BG21 Bluetooth SoC and Telit's LTE CAT-M1/NB-IoT cellular modem with pre-tested cloud SDKs and sensors. The company operates as part of the Exponential Technology Group (XTG) within the TTI Family of Specialists, leveraging over 30 years of experience with a team of 60+ design professionals across three U.S. offices. Services span from early concept through industrialization, supporting markets including wireless IoT, medical, industrial, utilities, automotive, consumer, video, asset tracking, wearables, agriculture, transportation/logistics, and smart home applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Connected Development: The primary brand under which XTG's engineering design services firms now operate

Products and services

• System Design Services Engineering design services covering hardware, software, RF and antenna design, and mechanical engineering for custom electronic device development.
• Development & Prototyping Services New product introduction through high-volume prototyping services for custom electronic devices.
• Testing & Certification Services Comprehensive turnkey testing and certification services including RF, EMC, environmental testing, and failure analysis with on-site test labs.
• Production Services Manufacturing and production services supporting new product introduction through high-volume production, with US and international manufacturing partnerships.
• Supply Chain Services Supply chain management services leveraging the TTI Family of Specialists distribution network for electronic components.
• Failure Analysis Services Root-cause failure analysis and RMA services including X-ray imaging, high magnification imaging, spectroscopy testing, circuit board cross sectioning, vibration testing, and 8D problem solving methodology.
• IoT Reference Platform A pre-certified reference design platform for low-power IoT devices featuring pre-tested cloud service SDKs, drivers, and sensors, integrating cellular connectivity and cloud-based IoT solutions to accelerate prototyping and deployment.
• LoRa-Based IoT Development Board and Reference Design LoRa-based IoT development board and reference design co-developed with Semtech for LoRaWAN-based low-power wide-area network IoT applications.

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• LoRa AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 December 2020Connected Development joined the LoRa Alliance as a member to support large scale deployment of Low Power Wide Area Networks (LPWAN) IoT through the LoRaWAN open standard. The company has developed numerous LoRaWAN-based products including end devices and access points, with expertise in managing the certification process.
• Nordic SemiconductorcoreTechnology or IntegrationConnected Development is a Nordic Design Partner with expertise in low power wireless connectivity solutions including Bluetooth LE, Cellular IoT, Wi-Fi, Matter, Thread, Zigbee. The partnership provides access to Nordic's complete platform of hardware, software, development tools, and cloud lifecycle services.
• Silicon LabscoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership with Silicon Labs for low-power wireless connectivity and embedded technology. Connected Development has developed reference designs using Silicon Labs' BG21 Bluetooth SoC and provides expertise in building advanced edge connectivity applications.
• SemtechcoreTechnology or IntegrationConnected Development and Semtech collaborated to launch a new LoRa-based IoT development board and reference design. Semtech is a leading provider of high-performance semiconductors for IoT connectivity and intelligent connected devices.
• Mouser ElectronicscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMouser Electronics, a Berkshire Hathaway company and authorized distributor, features Connected Development's XCVR Development Boards and provides access to over 6.8 million products from 1,200+ manufacturer brands for customer designs.
• BraemacmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBraemac is a global electronic component distributor and value-added services provider with 40 years of expertise. The partnership provides comprehensive development solutions supporting diverse markets and applications, and Braemac distributes Connected Development's products in the Americas.
• RFMWmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRFMW is a specialty electronics distribution company focused on RF, microwave, and power components. Part of the Exponential Technology Group and TTI Family of Specialists, RFMW provides technical component selection support and fulfillment.
• EzuriomajorTechnology or IntegrationEzurio (formerly Laird Connectivity) provides RF modules, system-on-modules, single board computers, antennas, and IoT devices. Partnership enables solutions that reduce development costs and time to market with resilient global supply chain.
• TaoglasmajorTechnology or IntegrationTaoglas is a trusted provider of antennas, advanced IoT components, and custom IoT design services. Partnership helps customers navigate complex RF and wireless systems with state-of-the-art test chambers and pre-certification centers worldwide.
• Telit CinterionmajorTechnology or IntegrationTelit Cinterion is a global IoT enabler providing wireless communication modules, cellular connectivity plans, edge-cloud software, and IoT platforms. Connected Development's IoT Reference Platform features Telit's ME310 LTE CAT-M1/NB-IoT cellular modem.
• TrasnamajorTechnology or IntegrationTrasna delivers end-to-end IoT cellular connectivity solutions including cellular IoT modules, SIM/eSIM services, and device management platforms. Trusted by over 250 brands across 80+ countries with chip-to-cloud capabilities.
• u-bloxmajorTechnology or Integrationu-blox is a global leader in positioning and short-range communication technologies. Partnership provides high-precision positioning and wireless communication solutions for automotive, industrial, and consumer markets.
• WirepasmajorTechnology or IntegrationWirepas provides IoT connectivity solutions for ultra-resilient, infinitely scalable mesh networks. Their platform enables large-scale mission-critical industrial and commercial deployments, running in over 20 million devices worldwide.
• Sager ElectronicsmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSager Electronics is a wholly owned subsidiary of TTI Inc. and North American distributor of Interconnect, Power, and Electromechanical products. Partnership provides customers access to operational excellence and innovative business solutions.
• TTI, Inc.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTTI, Inc. is a Berkshire Hathaway company and authorized specialty distributor of electronic components. As part of the TTI Family of Specialists, Connected Development benefits from the distribution network's strength and customer access.
• Exponential Technology Group (XTG)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorConnected Development is a member of XTG, part of the TTI Family of Specialists. XTG is a collection of electronic component distributors and design engineering firms including Braemac, CHANGNAM I.N.T. LTD., and RFMW, that collaborate to enable modern technology development.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Volansys Technologies: Volansys is an IoT and connected-product design services company offering hardware, firmware, cloud, and certification support. Closely comparable to Connected Development in IoT/wireless design services and product engineering across multiple verticals.
• Mistral Solutions: Mistral Solutions provides embedded design services including hardware, FPGA, and wireless product development with deep silicon-vendor relationships. Comparable to Connected Development's wireless/RF engineering services model.
• Synapse Design: Synapse Design is a custom ASIC/FPGA/embedded and wireless hardware design services firm serving semiconductor and electronics customers. Comparable to Connected Development in providing turnkey hardware/firmware/RF design across the product lifecycle.
• Softeq Development: Softeq provides embedded software and hardware design services including IoT, connected devices, and full product development. Comparable in offering custom electronic product engineering with focus on wireless/embedded systems.
• Nuvation Engineering: Nuvation is a custom electronic product design services firm delivering hardware, firmware, and cloud solutions to enterprise customers. Directly comparable as a full-lifecycle design services peer with industrial and IoT focus.
• PathPartner Technology: PathPartner is an embedded design services firm specializing in video, imaging, and connected device engineering. Comparable in offering full-lifecycle embedded product design to enterprise customers.

Broad incumbents

• Digi International: Digi is a larger established IoT hardware/module vendor with internal design services and reference platforms. Comparable as a broader IoT incumbent whose modules and design enablement overlap with Connected Development's IoT Reference Platform work.

Others

• Silicon Labs: Silicon Labs is a wireless IoT silicon and software vendor whose BG21 SoC anchors Connected Development's flagship IoT Reference Platform. Comparable as a critical silicon partner whose ecosystem shapes Connected Development's go-to-market.
• Nordic Semiconductor: Nordic Semiconductor is a leading BLE/short-range wireless SoC vendor and a Connected Development design partner. Comparable as the upstream silicon ecosystem whose roadmap drives Connected Development's Bluetooth/Matter/Thread design engagements.

Regional players

• Insight Design (Insight Electronics): Insight Electronics, part of Insight Enterprises, distributes and integrates electronics design services and components. Comparable ecosystem role to Connected Development as a channel-aligned technical design services provider.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/connected-development

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Connected Development