Delve vs Flex Health Solutions: full comparison for 2026
Quick verdict
Delve (4.0/5) edges ahead of Flex Health Solutions (3.8/5) overall. Delve is the better choice for user research and industrial design for medtech. Flex Health Solutions is the stronger option for design transfer into global contract manufacturing. The right choice depends on your project size, budget, and required tech stack.
Delve vs Flex Health Solutions: head-to-head summary
| Criterion | Delve | Flex Health Solutions |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2021 | 1969 |
| HQ | Madison, WI, USA | Austin, TX, USA / Singapore |
| Team size | 200–500 | Large (Flex Ltd.) |
| Rating | 4.0 / 5 | 3.8 / 5 |
| Primary differentiator | Design research and industrial design depth from two long-established US studios | Dedicated NPI center and design sites that feed directly into Flex's medical manufacturing network |
| Pricing model | Time and materials, phased fixed project | Manufacturing supply agreement, NPI contract |
| Min. engagement | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Primary tech stack | SolidWorks, Usability engineering, Rapid prototyping | PCB assembly, Injection molding, Automated assembly |
| Industries served | Wearables & remote monitoring, Surgical & therapeutic devices, Consumer products, Industrial | Drug delivery, Diagnostics & lab devices, Surgical & therapeutic devices |
Delve vs Flex Health Solutions: overview
Delve
Delve is a product design and innovation firm headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin, with studios in Boston, Philadelphia and San Francisco. Trinity Hunt Partners bought it in 2021 and merged it with Philadelphia's Bresslergroup (founded 1970), and the combined business now operates under the Delve name and later acquired digital design firm altr. Its team is estimated at 200 to 500 people. Delve says it designed and engineered the Dexcom G6 continuous glucose monitor (per company website; independently unverifiable), and medical devices are a large share of its work alongside consumer and industrial products.
Flex Health Solutions
Flex Health Solutions is the healthcare division of Flex Ltd. and operates as a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) for medical devices and pharma. Flex lists 26 manufacturing sites, six design and engineering sites, 16 FDA-registered entities and 21 ISO 13485 sites for health (per company website; independently unverifiable). In 2025 it opened a North American new product introduction (NPI) center for healthcare customers, and it shared a 2025 PDA Drug Delivery Innovation Award with Merck KGaA for an autoinjector.
Services and capabilities: Delve vs Flex Health Solutions
| Capability | Delve | Flex Health Solutions |
|---|---|---|
| Electronics & PCB design | ✓ | ✓ |
| Firmware & embedded software | ✗ | ✗ |
| SaMD & companion apps | ✗ | ✗ |
| Connected devices & IoT | ✗ | ✗ |
| Industrial design & human factors | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mechanical engineering | ✓ | ✓ |
| Device cybersecurity | ✗ | ✗ |
| Regulatory & QMS support | ✗ | ✓ |
| Manufacturing & scale-up | ✗ | ✓ |
Tech stack comparison: Delve vs Flex Health Solutions
| Framework / platform | Delve | Flex Health Solutions |
|---|---|---|
| Embedded C/C++ | ✓ | N/A |
| Embedded Linux | N/A | N/A |
| RTOS | N/A | N/A |
| BLE | N/A | N/A |
| Cloud (AWS/Azure) | N/A | N/A |
| IEC 62304 | N/A | N/A |
| ISO 14971 | N/A | N/A |
| ISO 13485 QMS | N/A | ✓ |
| Qt | N/A | N/A |
Pricing comparison: Delve vs Flex Health Solutions
| Criterion | Delve | Flex Health Solutions |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum engagement | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Engagement models | Consulting, Fixed project, Time & materials | Fixed project, Manufacturing contract |
| Rate transparency | Not public | Not public |
| Price tier | Mid-market | Mid-market |
Target audience comparison: Delve vs Flex Health Solutions
| Dimension | Delve | Flex Health Solutions |
|---|---|---|
| Best company size | Startup to mid-market | Startup to mid-market |
| Best industries | Wearables & remote monitoring, Surgical & therapeutic devices, Consumer products | Drug delivery, Diagnostics & lab devices, Surgical & therapeutic devices |
| Best use cases | Industrial design and user research for a wearable, Human factors work on a home-use device | Transferring a verified design into volume production, Pre-clinical and design verification builds |
| Typical project type | Consulting | Fixed project |
Delve vs Flex Health Solutions: pros and cons
| Delve | |
|---|---|
| + | Strong user research and industrial design, important for patient-worn devices |
| + | Multiple US studios |
| + | Public wearable CGM experience |
| + | Bresslergroup brings a long patent and design-award record |
| - | Private-equity owned since 2021 and built through mergers |
| - | Medical is a large share, but consumer and industrial work compete for attention |
| - | ISO 13485 certification was not confirmed in our research |
| Flex Health Solutions | |
|---|---|
| + | Large global network of ISO 13485 and FDA-registered sites |
| + | New NPI center supports prototype builds, design verification and production transfer |
| + | Award-winning drug delivery work with Merck KGaA |
| + | Handles sterilization and packaging in-house |
| - | Development work mainly exists to feed programs into Flex factories |
| - | Better for funded programs with a clear path to volume |
| - | Site counts are company-reported and differ across Flex pages |
Who should choose Delve?
A typical fit: industrial design and user research for a wearable.
Design research and industrial design depth from two long-established US studios. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed. Works best with clients in Wearables & remote monitoring, Surgical & therapeutic devices, Consumer products, Industrial.
Who should choose Flex Health Solutions?
A typical fit: transferring a verified design into volume production.
Dedicated NPI center and design sites that feed directly into Flex's medical manufacturing network. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed. Works best with clients in Drug delivery, Diagnostics & lab devices, Surgical & therapeutic devices.
Decision matrix: Delve vs Flex Health Solutions
| Your situation | Recommended choice |
|---|---|
| You need full-ownership delivery on a defined project scope | Delve |
| You need a large dedicated team for an ongoing programme | Check each company's engagement model |
| Your budget is at the lower end | Compare: Delve (Not disclosed) vs Flex Health Solutions (Not disclosed) |
| You need specialist depth in a specific vertical | Delve |
| You need staff augmentation or team extension | Neither; consider alternatives that offer staff aug |
| You need consulting before committing to a build | Both may offer discovery engagements |
Use case fit: Delve vs Flex Health Solutions
| Use case | Delve fit | Flex Health Solutions fit | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Industrial design and user research for a wearable | Strong | Limited | Delve |
| Human factors work on a home-use device | Strong | Limited | Delve |
| Transferring a verified design into volume production | Limited | Strong | Flex Health Solutions |
| Pre-clinical and design verification builds | Limited | Strong | Flex Health Solutions |
Verdict: Delve vs Flex Health Solutions
Delve (4.0/5) is the stronger overall choice for most Medical Device Development projects. Design research and industrial design depth from two long-established US studios.
Flex Health Solutions (3.8/5) is worth a look if you need pre-clinical and design verification builds. If your situation matches that, Flex Health Solutions is a competitive option.
Related comparisons
Delve vs Flex Health Solutions FAQ
Is Delve better than Flex Health Solutions?
Delve (4.0/5) scores higher overall, but "better" depends on your use case. Delve's strongest advantage: strong user research and industrial design, important for patient-worn devices. Flex Health Solutions's strongest advantage: large global network of ISO 13485 and FDA-registered sites.
How do Delve and Flex Health Solutions differ in pricing?
Delve uses time and materials, phased fixed project pricing. Flex Health Solutions uses manufacturing supply agreement, npi contract pricing. Neither firm publishes a full rate card; a discovery call is required for project-specific quotes.
Which is better for enterprise: Delve or Flex Health Solutions?
Delve 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 Delve and Flex Health Solutions?
Delve's primary differentiator is: design research and industrial design depth from two long-established US studios. Flex Health Solutions's primary differentiator is: dedicated NPI center and design sites that feed directly into Flex's medical manufacturing network. They also differ in team size (200–500 vs Large (Flex Ltd.)), minimum engagement (Not disclosed vs Not disclosed), and primary industries served (Wearables & remote monitoring, Surgical & therapeutic devices vs Drug delivery, Diagnostics & lab devices).
Verify all details directly with each company before making a decision.