Q4 2025
Trutalent has mapped 99,102 engineers across 372 companies in the deep-tech sector. This report provides market-level insights on talent concentration, skills distribution, and geographic trends for technical recruiters hiring kernel, embedded, firmware, and systems engineers.
| Company Size | Count | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| 1-10 employees | 23 | 6% |
| 11-50 employees | 67 | 18% |
| 51-200 employees | 89 | 24% |
| 201-500 employees | 71 | 19% |
| 501-1000 employees | 48 | 13% |
| 1001-5000 employees | 42 | 11% |
| 5001-10000 employees | 18 | 5% |
| 10001+ employees | 14 | 4% |
The top 10 companies in our dataset represent a significant concentration of deep-tech engineering talent. Defense contractors and semiconductor companies dominate the rankings.
| Rank | Engineers | Size | Location | Top Competencies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1,325 | 1001-5000 | Orange County, CA | Network Protocol, Cryptographic Engineering |
| 2 | 221 | 5001-10000 | Cambridge, UK | Network Protocol, Firmware Development |
| 3 | 181 | 10001+ | Reston, VA | Network Protocol, Firmware Development |
| 4 | 158 | 10001+ | UK, France, Italy | Network Protocol, Verification & Testing |
| 5 | 67 | 201-500 | London, UK | System Engineering, Automotive Development |
| 6 | 17 | 11-50 | London, UK | FPGA, Hardware Engineering, Firmware |
| 7 | 7 | 51-200 | Burlingame, CA | Embedded Software Engineering |
| 8 | 6 | 201-500 | Derby, UK | Network Protocol, Firmware Development |
| 9 | 3 | 51-200 | Berlin, Germany | FPGA Development, Network Protocol |
| 10 | 0* | 1-10 | London, UK | Network Protocol, Firmware Development |
*Currently being mapped. Full company details available at trutalent.io
| Industry | Companies | Engineers | Avg per Company |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defense/Aerospace | 67 | 28,410 | 424 |
| Semiconductor | 89 | 24,775 | 278 |
| Autonomous Vehicles | 34 | 12,883 | 379 |
| AI Infrastructure | 41 | 11,892 | 290 |
| Consumer Electronics | 52 | 9,910 | 191 |
| Robotics | 38 | 5,946 | 156 |
| Space Tech | 23 | 3,304 | 144 |
| Other | 28 | 1,982 | 71 |
| Rank | Skill | % of Engineers |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | C | 78% |
| 2 | Python | 65% |
| 3 | Linux | 61% |
| 4 | C++ | 54% |
| 5 | VHDL | 42% |
| 6 | Verilog | 38% |
| 7 | Git | 35% |
| 8 | Assembly | 31% |
| 9 | Embedded Linux | 28% |
| 10 | RTOS | 24% |
| 11 | Rust | 18% |
| 12 | SystemVerilog | 16% |
| 13 | CUDA | 12% |
| 14 | Matlab | 11% |
| 15 | ARM Architecture | 9% |
These skills are growing rapidly in systems programming, especially at security-focused and AI infrastructure companies.
The dominant company's 1,325 engineers signals continued consolidation in defense tech. Smaller defense contractors are being outcompeted for talent by well-funded startups offering competitive equity.
Despite global semiconductor challenges, Cambridge remains the world's most concentrated hub for chip design talent, anchored by major players and their ecosystem of spinouts.
Engineers from traditional automotive manufacturers are moving to autonomous vehicle startups. London-based AV companies are prime examples of this shift.
FPGA skills are in high demand across audio, defense, and telecommunications. Companies report 6-month+ time-to-fill for senior FPGA engineers.
Contrary to assumptions, 40%+ of deep-tech roles now support remote work, expanding the geographic talent pool beyond traditional hubs.
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Report generated: November 2025
Data as of: November 18, 2025