Luke Williams, Founder of Banto

Luke Williams

Founder, Banto Ltd.

I help early-stage hardware teams ship the embedded and firmware work they can't yet hire for, with security depth most embedded engineers don't have. Nine years across embedded engineering and security, from high-assurance UK government work to startups.

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Embedded & Systems Sprint

Available now

What this covers

  • Architecture and design review (e.g. across firmware, drivers and RTOS). We scope out a project and figure out what's needed to make it a reality
  • Hands-on code review of the embedded and low-level stack
  • Board bring-up, integration and hardware debugging
  • Security read: threat model, attack surface, secure boot, crypto
  • Hands-on remediation of the critical findings, not just a list
  • Clear written report, prioritised and actionable

How I work

We collaboratively scope out delivery of a major package of embedded engineering work. I also go through your firmware, drivers, systems and security design hands-on and focus on the architecture decisions that are expensive to get wrong, not surface-level findings.

I design a plan to execute your embedded project, the level of resource and time it will take, and catch any major blockers before they cost you. I can also fix problems during the review for ongoing projects.

Founding-client rate · one-time · ~2 weeks
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Embedded Engineering Retainer

2 spots left in

What this covers

  • A named senior owner for your firmware and embedded projects
  • I push forward delivery of an engineering project, and am embedded into your slack and weekly calls
  • Architecture and design sign-off as you build
  • Per-release firmware, driver and systems review
  • Hands-on help on the hard problems: bring-up, RTOS, integration
  • Getting embedded systems reliable, deterministic and production-ready
  • Security depth when you need it: threat modelling, secure boot, crypto
  • A sounding board on technical and product direction. Market expertise in the embedded space
  • Monthly written progress and risk reporting

How I work

You get a senior embedded and security expert on demand for the decisions that are expensive to get wrong, not someone you have to manage. I'm in your design reviews and your PRs.

Most teams are making critical firmware and architecture decisions without a senior owner. With me you have a named technical lead who understands the domain and the security stakes, and who has helped a deep-tech startup work out what to build, not just how to build it.

Founding-client rate, first 2 clients · price held 6 months
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Fractional Engineering Lead

1 slot

What this covers

  • Everything in the Retainer, with larger scale product delivery, hands-on work and ownership
  • Technical roadmap and engineering direction
  • Hands-on delivery or management of teams delivering hard low-level work: bring-up, drivers, RTOS
  • Delivery leadership for your engineering function
  • Direct contact with investors, customers and your board
  • Mentoring and levelling-up your engineers

How I work

For when you need a senior engineering owner, not just oversight: someone running the technical direction, doing the hard hands-on work, and helping steer the product itself, without a full-time hire you can't yet justify or find.

You deal directly with me, never an account manager. One slot at a time.

3-month minimum
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Security & Architecture Sprint

Available now

What this covers

  • Full-stack application security audit, threat modelling and architecture review
  • Project planning for transition to a new hardened security stack
  • Vulnerability research and reverse engineering
  • Security design and controls assessment
  • Penetration testing of critical paths
  • Board-ready Technical Risk Report
  • Risk containerisation recommendations

How I work

I focus on the vulnerabilities that actually get exploited, not a checkbox exercise. I map your attack surface, identify the paths an attacker would realistically take, fix what I can directly and hand you a clear, prioritised plan for the rest. We work on a long term plan to transition your stack to a security hardened state.

Founding-client rate · one-time · ~2 weeks
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Security Engineering Retainer

2 spots left in

What this covers

  • You get a named senior security lead for your team to point to in due diligence
  • I transition your stack to a security hardened stack
  • I am integrated into your slack and regular calls
  • Security architecture ownership and design sign-off
  • Threat modelling and vulnerability triage
  • Code and architecture security review on the decisions that matter
  • Post-incident review and remediation guidance
  • Monthly security posture reporting

How I work

You get a senior security engineer leading ongoing work to transition your stack to a security hardened stack, and implement ongoing monitoring and alerts. I'm in your Slack, your PRs and your architecture calls, giving you the senior read on what's a real risk and what isn't.

Often the compliance worry is really an architecture problem. I harden what actually matters, and give you a named expert in the room when an enterprise buyer's security team comes knocking.

Founding-client rate, first 2 clients · price held 6 months
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Fractional Security Lead

1 slot

What this covers

  • Everything in the Retainer, with deeper ownership
  • Standing up your security function from scratch
  • Secure SDLC and security program design
  • Direct contact with your auditors, customers and board
  • Mentoring your engineers toward security ownership
  • The senior name that supports enterprise and investor due diligence

How I work

For when you need more than oversight: actual ownership of security as a function, when a full-time hire is months away and six figures loaded. I run it, including the program, the standards, and the room with your auditors and biggest customers.

One slot at a time, so you get the real thing, not divided attention.

3-month minimum
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Get in touch

Tell me about your company and what you need help with.

Hi, my name is and I work at . We're looking for help our platform. You can reach me at .

Thanks! We'll be in touch within 24 hours.

or Book Intro Call

Or email directly at luke@banto.systems

Luke Williams, Founder of Banto
Luke Williams
Founder, Banto Ltd.

Nine years across embedded engineering and security, from high-assurance UK government work to startups. I am delivery focused, partnering with you to ship ambitious projects. I also do the hard low-level engineering work teams get stuck on: bring-up, drivers, RTOS, getting firmware reliable on real silicon. On top of that I bring security depth most embedded engineers don't have, built on vulnerability research and reverse engineering. Right now I'm doing exactly that inside a deep-tech startup, working on a formally verified operating system and helping shape the product itself. I help early-stage hardware teams get the senior firmware and systems work done, and make the calls they can't yet hire for.

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