Best Medical Device Development Companies

Team Consulting vs Phillips-Medisize: full comparison for 2026

Quick verdict

Team Consulting (4.3/5) edges ahead of Phillips-Medisize (3.9/5) overall. Team Consulting is the better choice for Inhalers, injectors and human-factors-heavy devices. Phillips-Medisize is the stronger option for drug delivery devices needing high-volume production. The right choice depends on your project size, budget, and required tech stack.

Team Consulting vs Phillips-Medisize: head-to-head summary

Criterion Team Consulting Phillips-Medisize
Founded 1986 1964
HQ Ickleton, Cambridge, UK Hudson, WI, USA
Team size 140–190 ~7,000
Rating 4.3 / 5 3.9 / 5
Primary differentiator Three decades of medical-only industrial design and human factors, especially for drug delivery Design, molding and assembly of drug delivery devices under one global quality system
Pricing model Time and materials, phased fixed project Development contract plus manufacturing supply agreement
Min. engagement Not disclosed Not disclosed
Primary tech stack SolidWorks, Mechanical simulation, Usability engineering Injection molding, Automated assembly, BLE
Industries served Drug delivery, Surgical & therapeutic devices, Diagnostics & lab devices Drug delivery, Diagnostics & lab devices, Surgical & therapeutic devices

Team Consulting vs Phillips-Medisize: overview

Team Consulting

Team Consulting began in 1986 as a general product development consultancy started by five former colleagues and has worked mainly in the medical sector since the early 1990s. It is employee-owned and based in a converted barn in Ickleton, near Cambridge, with somewhere between 140 and 190 staff depending on the source. Its best-known work is in inhaled and injectable drug delivery devices, where it combines industrial design, mechanical engineering and human factors.

Phillips-Medisize

Phillips-Medisize is a subsidiary of Molex, itself owned by Koch Industries, and provides outsourced design, development and manufacturing to pharma, diagnostics and medical device companies. It is based in Wisconsin and has about 7,000 employees. Molex's purchase of inhalation specialist Vectura added combination-product expertise, and the combined team includes more than 1,200 engineers and scientists across 30 sites. A $110M manufacturing campus in Katowice, Poland, opened in November 2023.

Services and capabilities: Team Consulting vs Phillips-Medisize

Capability Team Consulting Phillips-Medisize
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: Team Consulting vs Phillips-Medisize

Framework / platform Team Consulting Phillips-Medisize
Embedded C/C++ N/A N/A
Embedded Linux N/A N/A
RTOS N/A N/A
BLE N/A ✓
Cloud (AWS/Azure) N/A N/A
IEC 62304 N/A N/A
ISO 14971 N/A N/A
ISO 13485 QMS ✓ ✓
Qt N/A N/A

Pricing comparison: Team Consulting vs Phillips-Medisize

Criterion Team Consulting Phillips-Medisize
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: Team Consulting vs Phillips-Medisize

Dimension Team Consulting Phillips-Medisize
Best company size Startup to mid-market Startup to mid-market
Best industries Drug delivery, Surgical & therapeutic devices, Diagnostics & lab devices Drug delivery, Diagnostics & lab devices, Surgical & therapeutic devices
Best use cases Designing a dry powder inhaler or autoinjector, Formative and summative usability studies Autoinjector or pen injector development and production, Inhaler device for a pharma combination product
Typical project type Consulting Fixed project

Team Consulting vs Phillips-Medisize: pros and cons

Team Consulting
+ Medical and pharma work has been its main business for over 30 years
+ Human factors engineering is one of the strongest in the UK for drug delivery
+ Employee ownership supports long-term client relationships
+ Industrial design quality is high, which matters for patient-handled devices
- Electronics and connected-device software are a smaller part of its work than mechanics and design
- No manufacturing; transfer to a CM is required
- UK rates and location may not suit US startups on tight budgets
Phillips-Medisize
+ Very large manufacturing footprint across the US, Europe and Asia
+ Vectura deal added deep inhalation and combination-product skills
+ Development and manufacturing under one quality system
+ Experience with connected drug delivery
- Owned by Molex and Koch Industries, so it suits large pharma more than small startups
- Development work is usually tied to a manufacturing agreement
- Less suited to software-heavy or early research projects

Who should choose Team Consulting?

A typical fit: designing a dry powder inhaler or autoinjector.

Three decades of medical-only industrial design and human factors, especially for drug delivery. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed. Works best with clients in Drug delivery, Surgical & therapeutic devices, Diagnostics & lab devices.

Who should choose Phillips-Medisize?

A typical fit: autoinjector or pen injector development and production.

Design, molding and assembly of drug delivery devices under one global quality system. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed. Works best with clients in Drug delivery, Diagnostics & lab devices, Surgical & therapeutic devices.

Decision matrix: Team Consulting vs Phillips-Medisize

Your situation Recommended choice
You need full-ownership delivery on a defined project scope Team Consulting
You need a large dedicated team for an ongoing programme Check each company's engagement model
Your budget is at the lower end Compare: Team Consulting (Not disclosed) vs Phillips-Medisize (Not disclosed)
You need specialist depth in a specific vertical Team Consulting
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: Team Consulting vs Phillips-Medisize

Use case Team Consulting fit Phillips-Medisize fit Winner
Designing a dry powder inhaler or autoinjector Strong Limited Team Consulting
Formative and summative usability studies Strong Limited Team Consulting
Autoinjector or pen injector development and production Strong Strong Both equally
Inhaler device for a pharma combination product Strong Strong Both equally

Verdict: Team Consulting vs Phillips-Medisize

Team Consulting (4.3/5) is the stronger overall choice for most Medical Device Development projects. Three decades of medical-only industrial design and human factors, especially for drug delivery.

Phillips-Medisize (3.9/5) is worth a look if you need inhaler device for a pharma combination product. If your situation matches that, Phillips-Medisize is a competitive option.

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Team Consulting vs Phillips-Medisize FAQ

Is Team Consulting better than Phillips-Medisize?

Team Consulting (4.3/5) scores higher overall, but "better" depends on your use case. Team Consulting's strongest advantage: medical and pharma work has been its main business for over 30 years. Phillips-Medisize's strongest advantage: very large manufacturing footprint across the US, Europe and Asia.

How do Team Consulting and Phillips-Medisize differ in pricing?

Team Consulting uses time and materials, phased fixed project pricing. Phillips-Medisize uses development contract plus manufacturing supply agreement pricing. Neither firm publishes a full rate card; a discovery call is required for project-specific quotes.

Which is better for enterprise: Team Consulting or Phillips-Medisize?

Team Consulting 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 Team Consulting and Phillips-Medisize?

Team Consulting's primary differentiator is: three decades of medical-only industrial design and human factors, especially for drug delivery. Phillips-Medisize's primary differentiator is: Design, molding and assembly of drug delivery devices under one global quality system. They also differ in team size (140–190 vs ~7,000), minimum engagement (Not disclosed vs Not disclosed), and primary industries served (Drug delivery, Surgical & therapeutic devices vs Drug delivery, Diagnostics & lab devices).

Verify all details directly with each company before making a decision.