Consult Red vs Klika Tech: full comparison for 2026
Quick verdict
Consult Red (4.3/5) edges ahead of Klika Tech (3.9/5) overall. Consult Red is the better choice for connected-device consulting from a team with direct prior product-company engineering leadership. Klika Tech is the stronger option for AWS-integrated IoT architecture advisory spanning firmware, hardware, and cloud. The right choice depends on your project size, budget, and required tech stack.
Consult Red vs Klika Tech: head-to-head summary
| Criterion | Consult Red | Klika Tech |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2003 | 2013 |
| HQ | Shipley, UK | North Miami Beach, FL, USA |
| Team size | 220+ | Not published |
| Rating | 4.3 / 5 | 3.9 / 5 |
| Primary differentiator | Founded by five engineering leaders from Pace Micro, employee-owned since its 2020 rebrand from Red Embedded | AWS IoT and DevOps competency partner status combined with STMicroelectronics hardware partnership for cloud-integrated architecture advisory |
| Pricing model | Consulting and product development engagements | Project-based IoT and cloud-embedded consulting engagements |
| Min. engagement | Not published | Not published |
| Primary tech stack | RTOS, Embedded Software, Cloud Platforms | AWS IoT, C, C++ |
| Industries served | Connected TV, IoT, Industrial, Pay TV / OTT | Industrial IoT, Consumer IoT, Cloud-connected devices |
Consult Red vs Klika Tech: overview
Consult Red
Consult Red was founded in 2003 by five engineering leaders from Pace Micro, initially operating as Red Embedded before rebranding to Consult Red in February 2020. Headquartered at The Wave, Shipley, England, the firm has grown to more than 220 employees across four continents and transferred ownership to an Employee-Owned Trust, applying its embedded, hardware, and cloud technology experience to connected-device consulting across Connected TV, IoT, and industrial sectors. The founding team's direct engineering leadership background at Pace Micro, a real, named prior employer, gives its consulting credibility a specific origin story a buyer can trace.
Klika Tech
Klika Tech was founded in 2013 and is headquartered in North Miami Beach, Florida, with delivery centers across North America, Europe, and Asia including a Wrocław, Poland office opened in 2021. The company's advisory work covers IoT, cloud, and embedded architecture together, holding AWS IoT and DevOps competencies alongside STMicroelectronics partner status, positioning itself for buyers whose architecture question centers on how firmware, hardware, and an AWS-based backend should be designed together from the outset.
Services and capabilities: Consult Red vs Klika Tech
| Capability | Consult Red | Klika Tech |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Feasibility assessment | ✗ | ✗ |
| Functional safety consulting | ✗ | ✗ |
| Technical training | ✗ | ✗ |
| Expert-witness services | ✗ | ✗ |
| Hardware co-design | ✗ | ✗ |
| Medical device firmware | ✗ | ✗ |
| IoT connectivity | ✓ | ✓ |
| Staff augmentation | ✓ | ✗ |
Tech stack comparison: Consult Red vs Klika Tech
| Framework / platform | Consult Red | Klika Tech |
|---|---|---|
| C | ✓ | ✓ |
| C++ | N/A | ✓ |
| RTOS | ✓ | N/A |
| ISO 26262 | N/A | N/A |
| IEC 61508 | N/A | N/A |
| MISRA C | N/A | N/A |
| FPGA | N/A | N/A |
| Embedded Linux | N/A | N/A |
| PCB Design | N/A | N/A |
Pricing comparison: Consult Red vs Klika Tech
| Criterion | Consult Red | Klika Tech |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum engagement | Not published | Not published |
| Engagement models | Consulting, Product development, Staff augmentation | Project-based IoT and cloud-embedded engineering |
| Rate transparency | Not public | Not public |
| Price tier | Mid-market | Mid-market |
Target audience comparison: Consult Red vs Klika Tech
| Dimension | Consult Red | Klika Tech |
|---|---|---|
| Best company size | Startup to mid-market | Startup to mid-market |
| Best industries | Connected TV, IoT, Industrial | Industrial IoT, Consumer IoT, Cloud-connected devices |
| Best use cases | Connected TV or RDK-based embedded software consulting, IoT product architecture consulting from a team with product-company engineering leadership background | AWS-integrated IoT architecture advisory spanning hardware, firmware, and cloud, DevOps-for-embedded process consulting |
| Typical project type | Consulting | Project-based IoT and cloud-embedded engineering |
Consult Red vs Klika Tech: pros and cons
| Consult Red | |
|---|---|
| + | Founded by five engineering leaders from Pace Micro, a specific, verifiable prior employer that grounds the firm's founding expertise claim |
| + | 22 years of operating history, with employee ownership since its 2020 rebrand aligning staff incentives with long-term client relationships |
| + | 220-plus employees across four continents give substantial bench depth for concurrent consulting and development engagements |
| + | Connected TV and RDK-V/RDK-B specialization is a specific, differentiated niche within broader embedded consulting |
| - | Connected TV and OTT specialization is a narrower fit for a buyer whose product has no video or pay-TV component |
| - | No published pricing or minimum engagement figure |
| - | The 2020 rebrand from Red Embedded to Consult Red is worth confirming doesn't create confusion with unrelated firms using similar names |
| Klika Tech | |
|---|---|
| + | AWS IoT and DevOps competency status is a verifiable AWS partner credential relevant to cloud-integrated architecture advisory |
| + | STMicroelectronics partner status pairs cloud integration advisory with direct chip-vendor support |
| + | Delivery centers across North America, Europe, and Asia can support distributed advisory engagements |
| + | 12 years of operating history with continuous multi-region expansion |
| - | AWS-centric positioning is a narrower fit for architecture advisory requiring cloud-agnostic or Azure/GCP-specific guidance |
| - | Public team size figures are not published, making bench-depth verification harder ahead of a large advisory engagement |
| - | No published pricing or minimum engagement figure |
Who should choose Consult Red?
A typical fit: connected TV or RDK-based embedded software consulting.
Founded by five engineering leaders from Pace Micro, employee-owned since its 2020 rebrand from Red Embedded. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed. Works best with clients in Connected TV, IoT, Industrial, Pay TV / OTT.
Who should choose Klika Tech?
A typical fit: AWS-integrated IoT architecture advisory spanning hardware, firmware, and cloud.
AWS IoT and DevOps competency partner status combined with STMicroelectronics hardware partnership for cloud-integrated architecture advisory. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed. Works best with clients in Industrial IoT, Consumer IoT, Cloud-connected devices.
Decision matrix: Consult Red vs Klika Tech
| Your situation | Recommended choice |
|---|---|
| You need full-ownership delivery on a defined project scope | Both offer fixed-price models |
| You need a large dedicated team for an ongoing programme | Check each company's engagement model |
| Your budget is at the lower end | Compare: Consult Red (Not published) vs Klika Tech (Not published) |
| You need specialist depth in a specific vertical | Consult Red |
| You need staff augmentation or team extension | Consult Red |
| You need consulting before committing to a build | Consult Red |
Use case fit: Consult Red vs Klika Tech
| Use case | Consult Red fit | Klika Tech fit | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connected TV or RDK-based embedded software consulting | Strong | Strong | Both equally |
| IoT product architecture consulting from a team with product-company engineering leadership background | Strong | Strong | Both equally |
| AWS-integrated IoT architecture advisory spanning hardware, firmware, and cloud | Limited | Strong | Klika Tech |
| DevOps-for-embedded process consulting | Limited | Strong | Klika Tech |
| Fixed-price build | Limited | Limited | Both equally |
| Staff augmentation | Strong | Limited | Consult Red |
Verdict: Consult Red vs Klika Tech
Consult Red (4.3/5) is the stronger overall choice for most Firmware Consulting projects. Founded by five engineering leaders from Pace Micro, employee-owned since its 2020 rebrand from Red Embedded.
Klika Tech (3.9/5) is worth a look if you need DevOps-for-embedded process consulting. If your situation matches that, Klika Tech is a competitive option.
Related comparisons
Consult Red vs Klika Tech FAQ
Is Consult Red better than Klika Tech?
Consult Red (4.3/5) scores higher overall, but "better" depends on your use case. Consult Red's strongest advantage: founded by five engineering leaders from Pace Micro, a specific, verifiable prior employer that grounds the firm's founding expertise claim. Klika Tech's strongest advantage: AWS IoT and DevOps competency status is a verifiable AWS partner credential relevant to cloud-integrated architecture advisory.
How do Consult Red and Klika Tech differ in pricing?
Consult Red uses consulting and product development engagements pricing. Klika Tech uses project-based iot and cloud-embedded consulting engagements pricing. Neither firm publishes a full rate card; a discovery call is required for project-specific quotes.
Which is better for enterprise: Consult Red or Klika Tech?
Consult Red is the larger team and typically the better enterprise-scale choice. For very large programmes, verify team size and compliance coverage directly with each consultancy before shortlisting.
What are the main differences between Consult Red and Klika Tech?
Consult Red's primary differentiator is: founded by five engineering leaders from Pace Micro, employee-owned since its 2020 rebrand from Red Embedded. Klika Tech's primary differentiator is: AWS IoT and DevOps competency partner status combined with STMicroelectronics hardware partnership for cloud-integrated architecture advisory. They also differ in team size (220+ vs Not published), minimum engagement (Not published vs Not published), and primary industries served (Connected TV, IoT vs Industrial IoT, Consumer IoT).
Verify all details directly with each consultancy before making a decision.