Lobaro GmbH vs Sigma Software Group: full comparison for 2026
Quick verdict
Lobaro GmbH (4.0/5) edges ahead of Sigma Software Group (4.0/5) overall. Lobaro GmbH is the better choice for LoRaWAN and low-power wide-area network firmware for industrial IoT. Sigma Software Group is the stronger option for mid-to-large programs needing firmware alongside a broader multi-industry engineering group. The right choice depends on your project size, budget, and required tech stack.
Lobaro GmbH vs Sigma Software Group: head-to-head summary
| Criterion | Lobaro GmbH | Sigma Software Group |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2012 | 2002 |
| HQ | Hamburg, Germany | Kharkiv, Ukraine |
| Team size | 15 | 1,100+ |
| Rating | 4.0 / 5 | 4.0 / 5 |
| Primary differentiator | LoRa Alliance membership and Nordic Semiconductor design partner status with deep LPWAN protocol experience | Majority Swedish ownership since 2006 combined with a 1,100-plus person multi-country delivery footprint |
| Pricing model | Project-based IoT firmware and platform engagements | Project-based and staff augmentation engagements |
| Min. engagement | Not published | Not published |
| Primary tech stack | LoRa, LoRaWAN, Sigfox | C, C++, Embedded Middleware |
| Industries served | Industrial IoT, Utility metering, Environmental monitoring | Aviation, Gaming, Telecom, Industrial IoT |
Lobaro GmbH vs Sigma Software Group: overview
Lobaro GmbH
Lobaro GmbH was founded in Hamburg in 2012 by Tobias Rohde and has grown to around 15 people, a design partner of Nordic Semiconductor and a member of the LoRa Alliance. The company's stated work covers IoT sensors, gateways, and the firmware, backend, and platform software that runs them, with specific protocol experience in LoRa, LoRaWAN, Sigfox, LTE, and wireless M-Bus for industrial metering and monitoring applications. That protocol depth in low-power wide-area networking is a narrower but deeper specialty than the general IoT connectivity claims many larger firms make.
Sigma Software Group
Sigma Software Group was founded in Kharkiv, Ukraine in 2002 by five friends and now employs more than 1,100 people across Ukraine, Sweden, Poland, and the United States. In 2006 the Swedish IT conglomerate Sigma Group acquired a 60% stake in the company, an ownership structure that has held since; the remaining 40% stays with the original Ukrainian founders. Its embedded and IoT services cover application development, firmware, middleware, device drivers, and human-machine interfaces, delivered as one practice within a much larger portfolio spanning gaming, aviation, and telecom software.
Services and capabilities: Lobaro GmbH vs Sigma Software Group
| Capability | Lobaro GmbH | Sigma Software Group |
|---|---|---|
| RTOS firmware development | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bare-metal & driver development | ✗ | ✗ |
| Secure boot / OTA firmware updates | ✗ | ✗ |
| MCU & platform migration | ✗ | ✗ |
| Connectivity & IoT protocols | ✓ | ✓ |
| Functional safety / compliance | ✗ | ✗ |
| Embedded AI / on-device inference | ✗ | ✗ |
| Firmware GUI development | ✗ | ✓ |
| Hardware co-design / board bring-up | ✓ | ✗ |
| Staff augmentation | ✗ | ✓ |
Tech stack comparison: Lobaro GmbH vs Sigma Software Group
| Framework / platform | Lobaro GmbH | Sigma Software Group |
|---|---|---|
| FreeRTOS | N/A | N/A |
| Zephyr | N/A | N/A |
| STM32 | N/A | N/A |
| ARM Cortex-M | N/A | N/A |
| Embedded Linux | N/A | N/A |
| BLE | N/A | N/A |
| MISRA | N/A | N/A |
| Secure Boot | N/A | N/A |
| AWS IoT | N/A | N/A |
| RISC-V | N/A | N/A |
Pricing comparison: Lobaro GmbH vs Sigma Software Group
| Criterion | Lobaro GmbH | Sigma Software Group |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum engagement | Not published | Not published |
| Engagement models | Project-based IoT firmware and platform development | Project-based engineering, Staff augmentation |
| Rate transparency | Not public | Not public |
| Price tier | Mid-market | Mid-market |
Target audience comparison: Lobaro GmbH vs Sigma Software Group
| Dimension | Lobaro GmbH | Sigma Software Group |
|---|---|---|
| Best company size | Startup to mid-market | Startup to mid-market |
| Best industries | Industrial IoT, Utility metering, Environmental monitoring | Aviation, Gaming, Telecom |
| Best use cases | LoRaWAN sensor and gateway firmware for an industrial monitoring deployment, Wireless M-Bus firmware for a utility metering product | Device driver or middleware development as part of a broader embedded program, HMI development for an industrial or aviation-adjacent embedded product |
| Typical project type | Project-based IoT firmware and platform development | Project-based engineering |
Lobaro GmbH vs Sigma Software Group: pros and cons
| Lobaro GmbH | |
|---|---|
| + | LoRa Alliance membership and Nordic Semiconductor design partner status verify its low-power wide-area networking credentials |
| + | Protocol depth spans LoRa, LoRaWAN, Sigfox, LTE, and wireless M-Bus, a specific set most generalist firmware vendors don't cover together |
| + | 13 years of operating history with a consistent focus on industrial IoT sensor and gateway firmware |
| + | Received public innovation funding through IFB Hamburg's InnoRampUp programme, an independently verifiable signal of institutional confidence |
| - | A team of around 15 people is small relative to industrial IoT programs requiring firmware across many product lines at once |
| - | LPWAN protocol focus is a narrower fit for firmware projects centered on Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or cellular broadband instead |
| - | No published pricing or minimum engagement figure |
| Sigma Software Group | |
|---|---|
| + | 1,100-plus employees across Ukraine, Sweden, Poland, and the US give substantial delivery capacity and timezone coverage |
| + | 60% Swedish ownership since 2006 brings the governance and stability of an established Scandinavian IT conglomerate |
| + | 23 years of operating history under continuous leadership from its original founding team |
| + | Multi-industry portfolio spanning aviation, gaming, and telecom means firmware engineers work alongside teams solving comparable real-time and reliability problems in other domains |
| - | Firmware and embedded work is one practice within a much broader multi-industry engineering group, not the company's sole focus |
| - | 60% ownership by Sweden's Sigma Group means the company is not independently controlled by its original Ukrainian founders |
| - | No published pricing or minimum engagement figure |
Who should choose Lobaro GmbH?
A typical fit: LoRaWAN sensor and gateway firmware for an industrial monitoring deployment.
LoRa Alliance membership and Nordic Semiconductor design partner status with deep LPWAN protocol experience. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed. Works best with clients in Industrial IoT, Utility metering, Environmental monitoring.
Who should choose Sigma Software Group?
A typical fit: device driver or middleware development as part of a broader embedded program.
Majority Swedish ownership since 2006 combined with a 1,100-plus person multi-country delivery footprint. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed. Works best with clients in Aviation, Gaming, Telecom, Industrial IoT.
Decision matrix: Lobaro GmbH vs Sigma Software Group
| 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: Lobaro GmbH (Not published) vs Sigma Software Group (Not published) |
| You need specialist depth in a specific vertical | Sigma Software Group |
| You need staff augmentation or team extension | Sigma Software Group |
| You need consulting before committing to a build | Both may offer discovery engagements |
Use case fit: Lobaro GmbH vs Sigma Software Group
| Use case | Lobaro GmbH fit | Sigma Software Group fit | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| LoRaWAN sensor and gateway firmware for an industrial monitoring deployment | Strong | Limited | Lobaro GmbH |
| Wireless M-Bus firmware for a utility metering product | Strong | Limited | Lobaro GmbH |
| Device driver or middleware development as part of a broader embedded program | Limited | Strong | Sigma Software Group |
| HMI development for an industrial or aviation-adjacent embedded product | Limited | Strong | Sigma Software Group |
| Fixed-price build | Limited | Limited | Both equally |
| Staff augmentation | Limited | Strong | Sigma Software Group |
Verdict: Lobaro GmbH vs Sigma Software Group
Lobaro GmbH (4.0/5) is the stronger overall choice for most Firmware Development projects. LoRa Alliance membership and Nordic Semiconductor design partner status with deep LPWAN protocol experience.
Sigma Software Group (4.0/5) is worth a look if you need HMI development for an industrial or aviation-adjacent embedded product. If your situation matches that, Sigma Software Group is a competitive option.
Related comparisons
Lobaro GmbH vs Sigma Software Group FAQ
Is Lobaro GmbH better than Sigma Software Group?
Lobaro GmbH (4.0/5) scores higher overall, but "better" depends on your use case. Lobaro GmbH's strongest advantage: LoRa Alliance membership and Nordic Semiconductor design partner status verify its low-power wide-area networking credentials. Sigma Software Group's strongest advantage: 1,100-plus employees across Ukraine, Sweden, Poland, and the US give substantial delivery capacity and timezone coverage.
How do Lobaro GmbH and Sigma Software Group differ in pricing?
Lobaro GmbH uses project-based iot firmware and platform engagements pricing. Sigma Software Group uses project-based and staff augmentation engagements pricing. Neither firm publishes a full rate card; a discovery call is required for project-specific quotes.
Which is better for enterprise: Lobaro GmbH or Sigma Software Group?
Sigma Software Group is the larger team and typically the better enterprise-scale choice. For very large programmes, verify team size and compliance coverage directly with each company before shortlisting.
What are the main differences between Lobaro GmbH and Sigma Software Group?
Lobaro GmbH's primary differentiator is: LoRa Alliance membership and Nordic Semiconductor design partner status with deep LPWAN protocol experience. Sigma Software Group's primary differentiator is: majority Swedish ownership since 2006 combined with a 1,100-plus person multi-country delivery footprint. They also differ in team size (15 vs 1,100+), minimum engagement (Not published vs Not published), and primary industries served (Industrial IoT, Utility metering vs Aviation, Gaming).
Verify all details directly with each company before making a decision.