READY TO LICENSE
Use a proven product.
License a finished, production-ready product as-is, or acquire it outright. The fastest path to market, with the least risk.
OUR MODEL
A fairer way to build products.
Product-as-a-Service is a newer, fairer business model: we succeed when your product does. That keeps our incentives aligned with yours from the very first conversation — and makes sure there's a great fit between what you need and what we do best.
Why we built it this way.
Our team has spent the past two decades working across almost every industry — and on both sides of the table. We've hired contractors and design houses, and we've been hired as one.
From both sides, the problem looked the same. When you pay for hours, the hours get paid whether the product succeeds or not. The customer carries the risk, every project starts from a blank page, and the engagement ends at hand-off — usually right before the hardest part: production.
The hourly model isn't going away, and for some work it's the right tool. But we believe there should be a better option for those who are looking for one. So we built Karanovic Research around it.
THE TRUE COST OF PAYING BY THE HOUR
The meter doesn't stop at the prototype.
Hire a contractor or design house to build a prototype, and you pay for the hours it takes — and that's where their job ends. Everything after that starts the meter again.
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Prototype
HourlyYou pay for the hours it takes to make it work once.
With usBuilt from day one to be manufactured and supported.
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Production
Billed againThe design isn't production-ready, and suppliers and manufacturers send changes.
With usWe set up suppliers and contract manufacturers ourselves.
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In the field
Billed againCustomer feedback and field issues need engineering time.
With usHappy customers are how we succeed, so we fix what matters.
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Years later
Billed againA part goes obsolete or the market shifts — more hours, or a retainer.
With usUpdates, part changes and new versions are part of the partnership.
WHO'S LOOKING OUT FOR YOUR PRODUCT?
Blind trust, or another salary.
With an hourly design house, you either trust that every decision has your product's best interests in mind, or you pay someone in-house to oversee it. Either way it's expensive and risky. And a design house will usually build exactly what you ask for — even when that choice will cost you to rework later. Because we share the outcome, we'll tell you when there's a better way.
WHEN ELECTRONICS ISN'T YOUR CORE BUSINESS
Your engineering team, without the payroll.
Hiring a hardware, firmware and software team rarely makes sense when the work comes in waves — after launch, there often isn't enough to keep them busy. A design house fills the gap only while you keep paying it. We're the in-house experts you don't keep on payroll, there for design, production, field issues and the next version.
HOW IT WORKS
From ready-made to fully custom.
Most projects land somewhere along this range. We'll shape the engagement around what you need.
ADAPTED TO YOU
Make a proven design yours.
Start from a tested design, then change the size or shape, add or remove features, and tune it to your use case. Proven foundations, custom fit.
BUILT FROM SCRATCH
Commission something new.
A new product designed, developed and brought to production with you, on a shared-risk partnership — still built on our experience and tested building blocks.
THE DIFFERENCE
How we compare.
An honest look at the three most common ways to get a product developed.
| Aspect | Freelance contractor | Design house | Karanovic Research |
|---|---|---|---|
| How they are paid | By the hour | By the hour or a fixed scope | Fixed pricing and royalties — never by the hour |
| Who carries the risk | You | Mostly you | Shared — and reduced with proven, tested designs |
| What they are rewarded for | Time spent | Billable scope | Your product succeeding |
| Starting point | A blank page | Usually a blank page | Proven designs and building blocks |
| Production readiness | Often not their concern | Extra billable hours | Designed in from day one |
| Changes, field issues, obsolete parts | More hours | More hours, or a retainer | Part of the partnership |
| Oversight you need in-house | You manage them | A manager, or blind trust | We share ownership of the outcome |
| Ownership & licensing | Usually yours | Usually yours | Flexible — structured so everyone wins |
| Which projects they take on | Whatever is available | Enough to keep the team busy | Only projects we are a great fit for |
| Where involvement ends | When the hours run out | At hand-off | Through production, launch and beyond |
| Best suited for | Small, well-defined tasks you manage yourself | Large, fixed-scope work led by your own team | Bringing a complete product to market with a committed partner |
SHARED RISK — AND LESS OF IT
We don't just share the risk. We reduce it.
With an hourly design house, the risk sits with the customer — that's you. We share it, and we work to shrink it from day one: we start from proven, tested designs where we can, and we bring two decades of experience in what tends to go wrong between prototype and production.
WHY WE'RE SELECTIVE
The right fit, on both sides.
Because we only succeed when your product does, we don't take on every project that comes our way. We look for a great match between your goals and our expertise — and if we're not the right fit, we'll tell you early and, when we can, point you somewhere better. An hourly design house has to keep projects flowing whether the fit is right or not. We don't.
PRICING
Fixed prices, not open-ended hours.
We don't bill by the hour. We use fixed pricing and royalties, so our reward is tied to your product's success rather than the time it takes — and you know the cost up front, instead of watching an open-ended meter.
OWNERSHIP & LICENSING
Structured so everyone wins.
Who owns the product, how it's licensed and how the partnership is structured are all flexible. We work with you to find the arrangement that fits your business, and put it in an agreement that works for both sides.
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE
Product-as-a-Service in practice.
WHEN TO CHOOSE US
When we're the right partner — and when we're not.
We're a great fit when…
- You want a complete product — hardware, firmware, software and production — not just a slice of it.
- Electronics isn't your core business, and building an in-house team doesn't make sense.
- You'd rather start from a proven design than pay to reinvent one.
- You want a partner who's invested in the product succeeding, not in the hours it takes.
- You need help beyond the prototype: suppliers, contract manufacturers, launch and scaling.
- You value an honest opinion on whether and how to build it.
A contractor or design house may suit you better when…
- You need a small, well-defined task done and will manage the project yourself.
- You only need extra hands for a short time on work your team already leads.
- The scope is fixed and fully specified, and the outcome is entirely yours to own.
Not sure which applies to you? Ask us — the first conversation is free, and we'll give you an honest answer, even if it's someone else.
Let's see if we're a fit.
Tell us about your product. The first conversation is free, and we're happy to sign an NDA before you share the details.
Get in touch