Profiles in ~48 hoursVetted shortlist after your brief
Start within a weekAfter a short interview or trial
You own the codeIP assignment and NDA
Scale with 30 days noticeAdd or release engineers
Trusted by founders and enterprises worldwide
About hiring IoT engineers
Everything to know before you hire IoT talent
Speqto provides IoT developers who work across the full chain: embedded firmware, gateways, secure connectivity, cloud ingestion and dashboards. This page is for founders, hardware product managers and operations leaders who want to hire IoT developers and need to understand which skills each layer demands and how we vet them.
An IoT product spans devices, connectivity, cloud and applications, and each layer needs different expertise. Firmware engineers write C, C++ or Rust for microcontrollers such as ESP32, STM32 or Nordic parts, using FreeRTOS or Zephyr, managing power, memory and sensors. They think about watchdog resets, brownouts and what happens when a battery dies mid-update, which application developers rarely face. Each layer fails in its own way.
Connectivity choices shape cost and battery life. Wi-Fi, BLE, LoRaWAN, NB-IoT, LTE-M, Zigbee and Thread each suit different range, power and coverage needs. A thoughtful developer asks how often devices send data, how many exist, where they sit and who maintains them in the field, then recommends a protocol instead of defaulting to whatever they used last time. Field service costs make this advice worth more than any chip choice.
Gateways, ingestion and device management
Between device and cloud sit protocols and edge logic. MQTT is the common choice for telemetry, with CoAP, HTTP and OPC UA in industrial settings. Gateways on Linux boards filter, buffer and translate data, keeping systems running when connectivity drops. Developers design for offline operation, message ordering, duplicate delivery and clock drift, which cause trouble in real fleets. Simulators help reproduce those cases cheaply.
On the cloud side, expect experience with AWS IoT Core, Azure IoT Hub or open-source brokers such as EMQX, then time-series storage in InfluxDB or TimescaleDB, stream processing and alerting. Device management covers provisioning, certificates, over-the-air firmware updates with rollback and fleet monitoring. AI adds value in anomaly detection and predictive maintenance, provided data quality is solid and models can run at the edge when needed.
Security, vetting and engagement
Connected devices are attractive targets. Developers should handle secure boot, signed firmware, per-device credentials, TLS with hardware-backed keys where available, and sensible update policies. Default passwords and unpatchable devices are failures of design, not of users. We build threat models early and keep production keys out of developer hands. Provisioning is automated so factory staff never handle secrets directly. Compliance rules for radio and safety certification are flagged early, since they affect hardware choices.
Candidates are assessed on embedded coding exercises, protocol and architecture questions, debugging approach and communication with non-technical stakeholders. You see profiles in about two business days. Engagements can cover a single layer or the whole stack, with weekly demos using real hardware or simulators, full IP assignment, NDAs on request and 30 days notice to scale the team. Bench tests and simulators come first, then field pilots.
Why teams hire from Speqto
A bench, not a single freelancer
If an engineer is unavailable or the fit is wrong, a replacement comes from the same bench, with knowledge handed over.
C, C++ or Rust firmware on RTOS platforms with power management, sensor drivers, bootloaders and tested over-the-air update paths.
Gateway and edge software
Linux-based gateways that buffer, filter and translate device data, keep working offline and run local rules or models.
Cloud ingestion pipelines
Device connectivity through AWS IoT Core, Azure IoT Hub or EMQX, with time-series storage, stream processing and alerting rules.
IoT dashboards and apps
Web and mobile interfaces showing live and historical device data, alerts, maps and remote commands for operators and customers.
Device security and OTA updates
Secure boot, signed firmware, certificate provisioning and staged rollouts with rollback for devices you cannot reach physically. Includes key rotation and revocation.
Predictive analytics at the edge
Anomaly detection and maintenance models trained on sensor data, deployed to gateways or cloud depending on latency and cost.
Skill set
Skills and tools your IoT hire brings
Matched against your stack during screening, not listed for decoration.
CAC and C++
Rust
FRFreeRTOS and Zephyr
ESESP32 and STM32
MQMQTT
LOLoRaWAN and BLE
AWAWS IoT Core
AZAzure IoT Hub
INInfluxDB
TITimescaleDB
NONode-RED
Grafana
How we vet
Five filters before you see a profile
You only interview engineers who have already cleared code review, a live problem-solving session and a communication check.
1Role brief matched to our bench
2Code and project review
3Technical assessment
4Live problem solving
5Communication and culture check
How to hire
Hire IoT talent in four steps
A short, low-risk path from your brief to a working engineer. If the first engineer is not right, we replace them.
1
Share your brief
Tell us the role, stack, hours overlap and how long you need the engineer. A 20-minute call is usually enough.
2
Get vetted profiles
In about two business days you receive candidates with assessment notes, code samples and availability.
3
Interview and trial
Speak to the engineers yourself. Start with a short paid trial and continue only if the fit is right.
4
Onboard and ship
Your engineer joins stand-ups and repositories, demos weekly and is backed by a delivery lead.
Included
Every engineer comes with
No hidden extras: the basics of a safe, managed engagement are part of the package.
NDA and IP assignment
Signed before details are shared; everything built is yours.
Weekly progress reports
Plain-language updates and a demo of working software.
Replacement from our bench
If the fit is wrong, a new engineer joins with a proper handover.
Your tools and repositories
Your Git, tickets and chat; we adapt to your process.
Equipment and payroll handled
Hardware, leave and compliance stay with Speqto.
30 days notice to scale
Add engineers or release them as your roadmap changes.
Compare options
Speqto, freelancer or in-house hire
Speqto dedicated engineer
Freelancer
In-house hire
Time to start
About one week
Days, but quality varies
Often two to four months
Vetting
Practical assessment and senior review
You test every candidate
You run the whole process
If someone leaves
Replacement from our bench
You start the search again
Gap until the next hire
Management
Delivery lead plus your direction
Entirely yours
Entirely yours
Scaling
Add or release with 30 days notice
One person at a time
Slow and costly to reverse
IP and NDA
Assigned to you by contract
Depends on the agreement
Standard employment terms
Equipment and payroll
Handled by Speqto
Their own
Yours
FAQ
Hire IoT Developers FAQs
Straight answers on cost, timelines, IP ownership, team setup and how we work. Cannot find yours? Ask a solutions architect directly.
Usually firmware, cloud and application skills, plus someone who owns security and device management. Hardware design may come from a separate partner. We can staff the software layers and coordinate with your electronics team or manufacturer.
Which protocol should we choose: MQTT, HTTP or CoAP?
MQTT suits constrained devices sending telemetry with lightweight publish-subscribe messaging. HTTP is simpler where devices have power and bandwidth. CoAP fits very constrained networks. The right answer depends on message frequency, device limits and your cloud platform.
Can you add IoT features to an existing hardware product?
Yes, if the hardware has suitable connectivity and processing. We start with a feasibility review of the board, firmware and update path, then add telemetry, remote configuration and a cloud backend in stages. Retrofits often start with a sensor and gateway add-on.
How do you test IoT software without a full device fleet?
We combine hardware-in-the-loop benches, simulators that generate realistic device traffic, and small pilot groups of real devices. Load, offline and update scenarios are tested deliberately, because those are where fleet problems first appear. Results are shared in the weekly demo.
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