For future reference, a short list of some of the more interesting independent companies, studios, design and dev shops that are engaged in invention, prototyping or research & development.
Some work mostly in software, some more with hardware or interfaces. Some more conceptual, some more product-oriented, some squarely in between.
- Hubbub invent and build playful digital products. Berlin/Utrecht.
- überproduct. Protyping and external R&D, in code or on paper. Berlin.
- The Incredible Machine. Focus on connected devices/IoT. Rotterdam.
- Near Future Lab. Thinking, making, design, development and research practice. (Several locations across California & Europe)
- Relative Wave. Focus on software and visual stuff. San Francisco.
- BERG London. Just included for historical reasons as they are not taking on client work after transitioning their business to build BERGCloud.
- MCQN is all about the IoT. They build connected devices, for clients and themselves. Liverpool.
- HardwareLabs.io turns hardware prototypes into finished products. London.
If you are aware of others that should be part of this list, please let me know.
Full disclosure: Many friends on this list. Alper of Hubbub and I share an office at the time of writing this. Hubbub, überproduct, The Incredible Machine and BERG London all have been involved as speakers at conferences of mine.
