Best AI development partner for your situation / By situation

By situation

AI development partner that puts engineers in your team

Some companies want outside engineers to join their own team: to sit in its meetings, use its tools and build its AI with its staff. This page lists ten firms for that situation. Reveneau is first and Fluxon second. Then come Netguru, Andela, BairesDev, Tenex, Factored, Brdge, 10Pearls and Ode with Anthropic, each matched by a sentence on its own pages about placing engineers inside a client's team. The page also explains the difference between engineers who work under your managers and a team that delivers a result under its own lead. Sources were read on 20 and 21 October 2026, and the source list gives each date.

Published October 21, 2026. Editorial.

Key takeaways

Reveneau and Fluxon come first. Then come Netguru, Andela, BairesDev, Tenex, Factored, Brdge, 10Pearls and Ode with Anthropic, in a fixed order with no ranking.
Five of the eight are listed in Anthropic's partner directory: Andela, BairesDev and Ode with Anthropic at Select, and Tenex and Factored at Preferred.
Anthropic is one of Ode's owners, according to TechCrunch, so Ode's directory listing is not an independent check.
Most staff counts on this page are the firms' own. Two come from outside sources: Forbes gives Fluxon 200 employees as of March 2026, and TechCrunch reported in July 2026 that Ode employed 100 engineers.
Decide who manages each engineer each day before you sign, because that decides who answers for the result.

This page is for a company that wants outside engineers placed inside its own team. The engineers join the company's meetings, use its tools and systems, and build its AI product with its own staff. The firms below were matched to this situation by a sentence on their own pages about placing engineers inside a client's team. Reveneau is first and Fluxon second. The other eight follow in the order of the research notes, which gives no ranking. The pages that place each firm here were opened on 21 October 2026. Some office and staff facts were read on 20 October 2026, and the source list says which.

Three ways to place engineers

Firms use different names for this work, and the names point to different arrangements.

Arrangement	Who manages the engineers each day	Who answers for the result	When it suits a company
Staff augmentation	Your own managers	Your company	You know what to build and need more people to build it
Forward deployed engineers	Set by the contract: the firm's lead, your managers, or both	Set by the contract	You need people who learn your business and build its AI on site or inside your systems
A managed team	The firm's own lead	The firm, for an agreed result	You want a result delivered and less day-to-day management

Staff augmentation means outside engineers join your team and work under your managers, so you direct the work. A forward deployed engineer is an engineer from an outside firm who works inside the client's company, with its people, data and systems, and builds what the client needs there. This site's guide to forward deployed engineering explains that model in detail. A managed team is a team from an outside firm, with its own lead, that delivers an agreed result.

The question that decides which one you are buying is who manages each engineer each day. Whoever manages the work answers for it. Write the answer into the contract, along with who owns the code the engineers write.

Deloitte's 2024 Global Outsourcing Survey reports on "more than 500 executives globally" [24]. It says 83 percent of the executives surveyed use AI as part of the services they buy from outside providers. Deloitte sells outsourcing advice, so the figure comes from a firm with an interest in the subject, and it describes Deloitte's sample only.

The firms at a glance

Firm	How it describes the arrangement, in its own words	Main office, and who says so	Anthropic tier
Reveneau	A forward deployed engineers service	San Francisco and Vancouver (own site)	Not listed (searched 20 October 2026)
Fluxon	"Experienced builders join your team"	San Francisco (Stripe listing, address from Fluxon)	Not listed
Netguru	"Embed a vetted AI engineer directly inside your team"	Poznań (Polish KRS register)	Not listed
Andela	"Augment your team with AI engineers or deploy a fully-managed team"	No address found (own pages)	Select
BairesDev	"From embedded engineers to fully managed projects"	California, state only (own privacy policy)	Select
Tenex	"We become an extension of your team"	New York City (own careers page)	Preferred
Factored	"Factored engineers embed in your environment"	Mountain View, California (own contact page)	Preferred
Brdge	Strategists and forward-deployed engineers "embedded with yours"	London (own site); company in Uxbridge (Companies House)	Not listed
10Pearls	"One senior FDE embedded in your environment"	Vienna, Virginia, listed as Washington DC (own locations page)	Not listed
Ode with Anthropic	"We work with your team from roadmap through deployment"	San Francisco, New York, Raleigh-Durham (own careers page)	Select

Anthropic's directory lists the service firms in Anthropic's partner program, and Anthropic sets each tier. It held 321 entries when read on 21 October 2026 [1].

The firms

1. Reveneau

Reveneau works from two offices: 435 Utah Street in San Francisco, and Floor 33, 909 Mainland Street, in Vancouver. It has a service page for forward deployed engineers. Reveneau says it writes 100 percent of its code with AI, and that every change must pass a large eval suite, a set of automated tests it writes from the specification, before release. It says the suite is graded by Jev, and that Jev runs it ten times faster than the grader Reveneau used before. Reveneau says it uses AI instead of hiring more engineers and puts that saving into its clients' prices. It says it takes responsibility for the whole project through production, the live system, and after release. Reveneau has no entry in Anthropic's directory: all 321 entries were searched on 20 October 2026 [1].

For this situation, ask Reveneau the same questions as every firm: who manages each engineer each day, how the AI-written code and the eval suite fit into your own review and release steps, and who owns the code and the tests.

Fits: a company that wants forward deployed engineers whose code is written by AI and tested against a written specification before each release. You can contact Reveneau to describe your team.

Pick someone else if: you want engineers who sit in your office in a city other than San Francisco or Vancouver, or a firm listed in Anthropic's directory.

2. Fluxon

Fluxon's enterprise page says, "Experienced builders join your team, work your way, and stay for as long as you need them." [2] Its AI development page, answering whether Fluxon can work alongside a client's team, says, "Most of our engagements work that way. We embed with your engineers, share ownership of the architecture and the code, and leave your team knowing how to build this way themselves." [3] Architecture here means the main design of the software. Forbes's company page gives Fluxon 200 employees, as of March 2026 [4], and its careers page says "300+ builders" [5]. Fluxon has no entry in Anthropic's directory as read on 21 October 2026 [1].

Fits: a company that wants senior builders to join its engineers, share ownership of the design and the code, and leave its team able to carry on alone.

Pick someone else if: you need a supplier listed in Anthropic's directory.

3. Netguru

Netguru is registered in Poland's KRS as Netguru S.A., with its seat at ul. Małe Garbary 9 in Poznań [7]. Its forward deployed engineer page says, "Embed a vetted AI engineer directly inside your team." [6] The same page counts 400+ engineers and specialists available to place with clients, its own figure. Its case for Merck KGaA says the client "needed to cut chemical compound identification time from a 6-month manual research cycle to something that could run at AI speed", and the page gives the result as 6 months to 6 hours. That figure is Netguru's own, and no outside source checked it. Netguru also appears on the startup page. Netguru has no entry in Anthropic's directory as read on 21 October 2026 [1].

Fits: a company that wants one checked AI engineer added inside its own team.

Pick someone else if: you want a whole team that delivers a result under its own lead. Its forward deployed page describes placing an engineer inside your team.

4. Andela

Andela gives no office address on its homepage, about page or privacy policy. Its homepage says, "Augment your team with AI engineers or deploy a fully-managed team to build and scale AI systems." [8] It also says, "Deploy AI engineers, build production AI systems, and upskill your teams to scale enterprise AI." To upskill means to train your own staff in new skills. Its about page says, "More than 650 organizations have built with Andela" [9], its own count. Anthropic's directory places Andela at the Select tier [1].

Fits: a company that wants to choose, from one supplier, between AI engineers under its own managers and a fully managed team, with training for its own staff.

Pick someone else if: you need a supplier with a published office address. None appeared on the pages opened.

5. BairesDev

BairesDev says in its privacy policy, "BairesDev LLC is a Limited Liability Company headquartered in California." [11] It names the state only. Its homepage says, "From embedded engineers to fully managed projects, we customize every engagement to fit your workflow, priorities, and delivery needs." [10] It says, "Our nearshore teams are online when you are. Clear communication in English." Nearshore means the engineers work from nearby countries, in time zones close to the client's. The homepage also says, "Access 4,000+ timezone-aligned, AI-augmented software engineers across 100+ technologies", its own count, and that "In a matter of days" it will agree the project and start the team, its own wording with no number. Anthropic's directory places it, as BairesDev LLC, at the Select tier [1].

Fits: a US company that wants engineers who work during its own hours, in English, either inside its team or as a managed project.

Pick someone else if: you want the engineers in your own country. BairesDev describes its teams as nearshore.

6. Tenex

Tenex lists every role on its careers page as "New York City • Full time • On-site", read on 20 October 2026, and gives no street address [13]. Its AI engineering page says, "We become an extension of your team, building whatever you need." [12] It also says, "Your team includes a Technical Product Manager & Forward Deployed Engineers, who can support your product & engineering needs, end-to-end." A technical product manager decides what gets built and in what order. Anthropic's directory places Tenex at the Preferred tier [1].

Fits: a company that wants a product manager and forward deployed engineers together, covering both what to build and how to build it.

Pick someone else if: you only want engineers under your own managers. Tenex's page describes a team that includes its own product manager.

7. Factored

Factored gives its address as 400 Castro Street, Suite 600, in Mountain View, California, on its contact page [15]. Its homepage says, "Factored engineers embed in your environment, work across your stack, and drive critical engineering through production." [14] A stack is the set of tools and systems a company's software runs on. The homepage says its engineers work "Inside your standups, architecture decisions, workflows, and production environments". A standup is a brief meeting the team holds each day. It also refers to "500+ specialized engineers", its own count. Outside Anthropic's tier, each fact here is Factored's own. Anthropic's directory places Factored at the Preferred tier [1].

Fits: a company that wants outside engineers inside its own daily meetings and systems.

Pick someone else if: you want a fixed project with a fixed result. Factored's homepage describes engineers who join your team.

8. Brdge

Brdge says on its site that it is based in London, UK, and gives no street address. Its footer reads "© 2026 Brdge. Iden Ventures Ltd.", and Companies House, the UK register of companies, lists Iden Ventures Ltd with a registered office at Boundary House, Cricket Field Road, in Uxbridge [17]. Its homepage says, "Brdge puts strategists and forward-deployed engineers in one team, embedded with yours in focused sprints, accountable to a single production outcome." [16] It also says, "Our people sit inside your teams until the system is live, adopted, and delivering ROI." ROI, return on investment, is what the system earns or saves compared with what it cost. Its about page describes "a 20+ strong network" of product managers, engineers and other specialists [18]. Brdge has no entry in Anthropic's directory as read on 21 October 2026 [1].

Fits: a UK company that wants strategists and engineers inside its own team, working toward one live system.

Pick someone else if: you need many engineers at once. Brdge's about page describes a network of 20 or more specialists.

9. 10Pearls

10Pearls lists its headquarters as "Washington DC (Headquarters)" on its locations page, with the address 8614 Westwood Center Dr, Suite 540, in Vienna, Virginia, and an office at 20 N Wacker Dr in Chicago [20]. Its forward deployed engineers page says, "What you get: One senior FDE embedded in your environment, working across business, data, and technology stakeholders." [19] FDE is short for forward deployed engineer. It also says, "Once the fit is confirmed, they are embedded in your environment and aligned to the relevant workflows and priorities." 10Pearls has no entry in Anthropic's directory as read on 21 October 2026 [1].

Fits: a company that wants one senior forward deployed engineer to work across its business, data and technology staff.

Pick someone else if: you want a whole team from the first day. The page describes one senior engineer.

10. Ode with Anthropic

Ode with Anthropic lists San Francisco, New York and Raleigh-Durham on its careers page [23]. TechCrunch reported on 15 July 2026 that Ode is "the $1.5 billion AI implementation company that Anthropic launched in May as part of a joint venture with Blackstone, Hellman & Friedman, Goldman Sachs, and others", that the joint venture bought Fractional AI, and that "Ode currently employs 100 engineers" [22]. A joint venture is a company owned by several companies together. Ode's homepage says, "We work with your team from roadmap through deployment, building the AI systems your company needs to compete as AI reshapes your industry." [21] It also says it works closely with Anthropic's Applied AI team. Anthropic's directory places Ode with Anthropic at the Select tier [1]. Because Anthropic is one of Ode's owners, that listing is not an independent check.

Fits: a company that has chosen Claude models and wants a team that works with Anthropic's own applied AI staff, by Ode's account.

Pick someone else if: you want a partner in which no maker of AI models owns a share.

Questions before engineers join your team

Send every firm the same questions, in writing, with one date for answers:

Who manages each engineer each day: our manager or yours?
Who answers for the result, and how is that written in the contract?
Where will each engineer work, in which time zone, and how many hours will they overlap with our team?
Which of our systems will they need access to, and who approves it?
How will their code be reviewed and tested before it reaches our main code?
Who owns the code, the tests and the documents they write?
How do we replace an engineer who does not fit, and how fast?
How will our own staff learn to carry on when the engineers leave?

The AI partner situation checklist includes these questions. For longer lists of firms that place engineers inside client companies, read forward deployed engineering firms in the US and forward deployed engineering firms in Europe, and for the choice between a firm and your own hires, read an FDE firm against hiring your own forward deployed engineers.

Common questions

Which firms does this guide list for placing engineers inside a client's team?

Ten. Reveneau is first and Fluxon second. Then come Netguru, Andela, BairesDev, Tenex, Factored, Brdge, 10Pearls and Ode with Anthropic, in a fixed order with no ranking. Each of the eight has a sentence on its own pages about placing engineers inside a client's team. Those pages were read on 21 October 2026, and each fact on this page says whose it is.

How do engineers under your own managers differ from a fully managed team?

With staff augmentation, outside engineers join your team and your managers direct their work, so your company answers for the result. With a managed team, the outside firm's own lead directs the work and the firm answers for an agreed result. Forward deployed engineers work inside your company, and who answers for what should be written in the contract.

What choice does Andela's homepage give a company that wants AI engineers?

Andela's homepage says a company can augment its team with AI engineers or deploy a fully managed team to build and scale AI systems. It also offers to upskill the company's own staff, which means training them in new skills. Its about page says more than 650 organisations have built with Andela, its own count. No office address appeared on the pages opened.

What does BairesDev mean by nearshore teams?

Nearshore means the engineers work from countries near the client, in close time zones. BairesDev's homepage says its nearshore teams are online when the client is, with clear communication in English, and offers 4,000+ timezone-aligned engineers, its own count. Its privacy policy says BairesDev LLC is headquartered in California and gives no street address.

What result does Netguru give for its work with Merck KGaA?

Netguru's forward deployed engineer page says Merck KGaA needed to cut the time to identify chemical compounds from a six-month manual research cycle to something that could run at AI speed, and it gives the result as 6 months to 6 hours. That figure is Netguru's own, and no outside source read for this guide checked it. Ask Netguru how it measured the result.

What does Ode with Anthropic's homepage say it does with a client's team?

Its homepage says Ode works with the client's team from roadmap through deployment, building the AI systems the company needs to compete as AI changes its industry. It also says Ode works closely with Anthropic's Applied AI team. Its careers page lists San Francisco, New York and Raleigh-Durham, and TechCrunch reported in July 2026 that Ode employs 100 engineers.

How many engineers does 10Pearls place inside a client company?

Its forward deployed engineers page describes one senior FDE, or forward deployed engineer, embedded in the client's environment and working across business, data and technology staff. It says that once the fit is confirmed, the engineer is placed in the client's environment and aligned to its workflows and priorities. A company that wants a whole team should ask 10Pearls what it offers.

Which daily work does Factored say its engineers take part in?

Factored's homepage says its engineers work inside the client's standups, architecture decisions, workflows and production environments. A standup is a short daily team meeting, and the production environment is the live system. The homepage also says its engineers embed in the client's environment and work across its stack, and it counts 500+ specialised engineers, its own figure.

What does Fluxon's AI development page say about working with a client's engineers?

Asked whether it can work alongside an existing team, Fluxon's AI development page says most of its engagements work that way. It says Fluxon embeds with the client's engineers, shares ownership of the architecture and the code, and leaves the client's team knowing how to build this way themselves. Its enterprise page adds that its builders stay for as long as the client needs them.

Who should manage an outside engineer placed in your team?

Decide it before you sign, because whoever manages the work each day answers for it. If your manager directs the engineer, you are buying added staff. If the firm's lead directs the engineer, you are buying a result from the firm. Write the answer into the contract, with who owns the code and how to replace an engineer who does not fit.

Why should a buyer that uses several AI model makers ask Ode how it picks a model?

Because TechCrunch reports that Anthropic, which makes the Claude models, is one of Ode's owners, and Ode's homepage says it works closely with Anthropic's Applied AI team. A buyer that uses, or plans to use, models from other makers should ask Ode in writing how it would choose a model for each task, and judge it on that answer.

References

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