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Top 17 Arduino Developers

arduino developers - Top 17 Arduino Developers

Arduino’s global community is driven by outstanding developers who contribute code, lead companies, share knowledge, and inspire others.

Below is a ranked list of the 17 best Arduino developers active today, chosen for their open-source contributions, startup leadership while still coding, influential content creation, impactful industry roles, and achievements in competitions. Each profile highlights why they stand out in the Arduino ecosystem:

  1. Limor Fried
  2. Paul Stoffregen
  3. Nathan Seidle
  4. Sandeep Mistry
  5. Ivan Kravets
  6. Rob Tillaart
  7. Mathieu Carbou
  8. Andreas Spiess
  9. Rui Santos
  10. Hideaki Tai
  11. Brian Lough
  12. Peter Scargill
  13. Becky Stern
  14. Luis Llamas
  15. Simone Giertz
  16. Cristian Maglie
  17. Ken Shirriff

Now, let’s explore their contributions and impact in detail:

Limor Fried

YouTube Video

Nationality: American

Limor Fried, known by her alias Ladyada, is the founder and lead engineer of Adafruit Industries – one of the top open-source hardware companies powering the Arduino maker community.

Starting Adafruit as a one-woman side hustle, she has grown it into a 100+ employee enterprise with a 50,000 sq. ft. factory in New York. Fried personally engineers and vets hundreds of open-source Arduino-compatible products, from breakout boards to IoT kits, used by millions of makers worldwide. An MIT-educated hacker, she has authored countless Arduino libraries and tutorials. Limor is also an influential educator and advocate for women in tech, often sharing her journey from a hobbyist to a CEO in media interviews. Under her leadership, Adafruit has become an indispensable resource in the Arduino ecosystem, embodying her motto of “Be excellent to each other” in the open-source community.

Paul Stoffregen

Nationality: American

Paul Stoffregen is the creator of the Teensy microcontroller platform and a legend among Arduino developers for his high-performance innovations. He designed Teensy boards to be programmed with the Arduino IDE but packed with far more computing power and optimized libraries.

Paul’s work enables makers to tackle ambitious projects – from driving thousands of LEDs at video rates to processing CD-quality audio – tasks once impossible on standard Arduino boards. A lifelong engineer-entrepreneur (founder of PJRC), Stoffregen has contributed dozens of widely used Arduino libraries. He’s behind core libraries like Audio, OctoWS2811, and optimized builds that push AVR and ARM chips to their limits. Paul remains hands-on with coding and support; while his partner runs business operations, “Paul does all the tech stuff” at PJRC. His commitment to open-source and empowering the community with better tools cements his reputation as one of the foremost hardware/software developers in the Arduino world.

Nathan Seidle

Nathan Seidle - Top 17 Arduino Developers

Nationality: American

Nathan Seidle is the founder of SparkFun Electronics and a driving force in open-source hardware entrepreneurship. He started SparkFun in 2003 as an undergraduate engineering student, aiming to supply parts and tutorials to fellow hobbyists, and grew it into a premier retailer for Arduino-compatible boards and sensors.

Seidle’s philosophy of sharing knowledge openly helped SparkFun release dozens of open-source Arduino shields and breakout boards, lowering barriers for makers everywhere. As an engineer, Nathan stayed deeply involved in product development even while serving as CEO – exemplified by feats like building a DIY safe-cracking robot for fun. He testified before the US Congress on open hardware and has been an evangelist for maker culture.

Under his leadership, SparkFun became an early adopter of Arduino, producing beginner-friendly kits and sponsoring community contests. Nathan’s blend of business savvy and hands-on inventiveness make him an influential figure who bridged the gap between Arduino garage projects and a sustainable hardware company.

Sandeep Mistry

Nationality: Canadian

Sandeep Mistry is a prolific software engineer known for bringing cutting-edge connectivity to the Arduino platform. Based in Canada, he has created and maintained numerous official Arduino libraries and cores – notably the Arduino nRF5 core that enabled Arduino support on Nordic BLE chips, and libraries for Bluetooth Low Energy and LoRa radios.

Sandeep co-authored the Arduino Nano 33 BLE and LoRa implementations, among others, making complex tech accessible via simple Arduino APIs. He’s also an author of TinyML in the context of Arduino. A former Arduino team member and now an engineer at Arm, Mistry has a passion for IoT – evident in his contributions like the ArduinoBLE library and LoRa library. Despite his behind-the-scenes profile, Sandeep’s code powers thousands of IoT projects worldwide. He frequently shares his expertise on Hackster and at conferences, exemplifying how a single developer can amplify an entire community’s capabilities through open-source.

Ivan Kravets

Ivan Kravets - Top 17 Arduino Developers

Nationality: Ukrainian

Ivan Kravets is the founder and CEO of PlatformIO, and a key figure in the Arduino-compatible developer tools space. A Ph.D. turned entrepreneur, Ivan created PlatformIO to simplify cross-platform embedded development. This open-source ecosystem has been a game-changer for Arduino developers who want professional-grade tooling while still using Arduino frameworks.

Kravets remains deeply technical – coding new features and engaging with users on GitHub and community forums. Under his leadership, PlatformIO has grown rapidly, with impressive year-over-year adoption by IoT developers. He also partners with silicon companies (Espressif, STMicro, etc.) to ensure Arduino support on new chips is robust. Ivan is active on social media and his personal blog, sharing insights on IoT dev trends and advocating for open-source collaboration. By bridging Arduino ease-of-use with advanced workflows, Ivan Kravets has empowered countless makers to scale their projects from prototypes to products, earning him recognition as a top IoT innovator.

Rob Tillaart

Nationality: Dutch

Rob Tillaart is an “absolute star in the Arduino community” known for creating and maintaining hundreds of Arduino libraries. A veteran contributor from the Netherlands, Rob has selflessly shared code for sensors, algorithms, and utilities that Arduino users rely on daily.

With over 340 library releases under his belt, he ranks among the most active Arduino library maintainers in the world. Tillaart’s libraries cover everything from environmental sensors to math utilities and data structures – often filling gaps left by others. On the Arduino forums, he’s a helpful presence, troubleshooting issues and updating his code in response to community feedback. Rob embodies the open-source spirit; he continuously refines his libraries to ensure compatibility and reliability. His long-term dedication has saved countless hours for Arduino developers, making complex tasks as easy as importing one of Rob’s well-documented libraries.

Mathieu Carbou

Nationality: French

Mathieu Carbou is a French Arduino developer who has risen to prominence as the #1 community library maintainer in Arduino’s 2024 Open Source Report. He released a staggering 393 library updates in the past year – the most of any contributor worldwide.

By day, Mathieu is a lead software engineer at IBM, but by night he is an Arduino/ESP32 enthusiast maintaining the Mycila series of open-source libraries. These cover system utilities, task management, displays, sensors and more on Arduino-compatible boards. Carbou’s personal site proudly notes his passion for microcontrollers and lists dozens of his projects and libraries. He actively engages on GitHub, quickly addressing issues and adding features, which has endeared him to fellow developers.

Mathieu also co-founded the Montreal Arduino Users Group in 2010, demonstrating leadership in community organizing. His ability to juggle an advanced industry career with prolific open-source contributions exemplifies the best of the Arduino community spirit.

Andreas Spiess

Andreas Spiess - Top 17 Arduino Developers

Nationality: Swiss

Andreas Spiess is affectionately known in the community as “the guy with the Swiss accent” – a moniker from his highly popular YouTube channel where he explores Arduino, ESP8266/ESP32, and IoT projects in depth.

With a background in engineering, Andreas turned to making weekly videos that combine thorough technical analysis with approachable explanations. Fellow enthusiasts praise him for his ability to break down hidden features of electronics and “push the community forward.” On his channel (500k+ subscribers), he covers everything from sensor comparisons, LoRa networks, to power optimization on Arduinos, often uncovering tips even manufacturers overlook. Beyond content creation, Spiess contributes on GitHub (under SensorsIot) by sharing code and examples for projects demonstrated in his videos.

He also occasionally designs PCB kits for his viewers to try. Andreas remains independent and unbiased, focusing on honest experimentation – a trait that has built immense trust. His impact is twofold: countless makers have leveled up their skills thanks to his tutorials, and even seasoned developers glean new insights from his deep-dives. In short, Andreas Spiess exemplifies the modern Arduino influencer who educates at scale while still contributing tangible improvements to the community’s knowledge base.

Rui Santos

Nationality: Portuguese

Rui Santos is the founder of Random Nerd Tutorials, one of the world’s most popular Arduino and ESP32 project websites. Hailing from Portugal, Rui (along with his wife Sara) has published hundreds of step-by-step guides that have become the go-to starting point for many makers – “I started with Rui Santos’s Random Nerd Tutorials,” as one Reddit user attests.

The blog’s tutorials cover a huge range: basic Arduino sensors, home automation with ESP8266, web servers on ESP32, and much more, often accompanied by YouTube videos and example code. Rui’s approachable writing and thorough diagrams have attracted millions of visits and a global audience. He’s also authored books and e-learning courses. On GitHub, Rui shares all the code from his tutorials openly, allowing others to build upon them easily.

His knack for distilling complex IoT projects into digestible lessons has lowered the barrier to entry for hobbyists around the world. In 2023–2025, Random Nerd Tutorials consistently ranks among the top Arduino resources online, a testament to Rui Santos’s influence as an educator-developer who has empowered a generation of Arduino and IoT enthusiasts.

Hideaki Tai

Nationality: Japanese

Hideaki Tai is a Japanese developer renowned for his contributions to Arduino library development and creative tech. Formerly an engineer at Panasonic and part of the art/tech collective Rhizomatiks, Hideaki now freelances at the intersection of hardware and interactive media.

On GitHub, he has authored 20+ Arduino libraries, earning a spot among the top 10 Arduino library authors globally. His libraries are known for their clean design – notable ones include ArduinoOSC, and adapters to use frameworks like Eigen linear algebra on Arduino. Hideaki also shares intriguing projects on his portfolio, like wireless lighting systems and time-synchronized installations using Arduino-powered devices. Active in Japan’s maker scene, he bridges the gap between art and engineering, often contributing to open-source projects in both Arduino and mbed communities. By blending a passion for music/visual arts with hardcore C++ skills, Hideaki Tai has expanded Arduino’s creative possibilities and inspired developers to push the platform into new, interdisciplinary domains.

Brian Lough

Brian Lough - Top 17 Arduino Developers

Nationality: Irish

Brian Lough is an Irish Arduino developer and content creator who has made a niche for himself by connecting Arduino projects to popular online services. An active community member, Brian is often lauded for “breaking down hidden features” of IoT tech and driving the Arduino scene forward.

He has developed numerous Arduino libraries for web APIs – for example, libraries to interface Arduinos with YouTube, Spotify, Twitch, and Twitter. These allow makers to create projects like live subscriber counters or IoT tweet displays with ease. On GitHub, Brian maintains these libraries and many others, and his work is referenced on the official Arduino library list. He’s also a YouTuber and live streamer, sharing project builds and tutorials with a friendly, down-to-earth style. Many in the community enjoy his streams where he codes Arduino projects in real-time, effectively teaching by example. Brian’s contributions fill a vital gap – merging Arduino with cloud services – and exemplify how one maker’s curiosity can yield tools that thousands use. His enthusiasm and approachability have made him a beloved figure in the Arduino and maker IoT space.

Peter Scargill

Nationality: British

Peter Scargill is a UK-based IoT blogger and developer whose work has significantly influenced the Arduino and ESP8266 enthusiast community. A seasoned electronics engineer, Peter shares a wealth of practical knowledge on Scargill’s Tech Blog, where he documents projects, experiments, and deep dives into home automation gadgets.

Fans credit him (along with others) for pushing the community’s understanding of obscure features and optimizations. Notably, Peter created “The Script,” a well-known bash script that sets up an entire Raspberry Pi with a suite of IoT services – a boon for Arduino/ESP home automation integration. In the Arduino realm, he’s contributed to improving code for MQTT communication and made optimizations to the Node-RED ecosystem that many Arduino tinkerers use. Scargill is also active on the social platform X, where he discusses the latest IoT developments and directs people to his YouTube channel for demos.

His straight-talking, no-hype style has earned him a loyal following. By freely sharing both successes and failures of his IoT journey, Peter has helped countless Arduino makers avoid pitfalls and unlock new capabilities in their projects.

Becky Stern

Becky Stern - Top 17 Arduino Developers

Nationality: American

Becky Stern is a creative technologist who has been a pioneer in the Arduino wearables and maker education space for over a decade. A self-described “maker and sharer at heart” with 10+ years in educational tech publishing, Becky became known during her tenure at Adafruit where she produced the “Wearable Electronics with Becky Stern” video series and tutorials.

She taught a generation how to sew LEDs into clothing using Arduino-compatible Flora and Gemma boards, combining craft, fashion, and electronics. Becky has created numerous open-source projects – from LED bike jackets to sound-reactive necklaces – often coding the Arduino logic and then explaining it in friendly, accessible terms. Beyond Adafruit, she has contributed to Instructables, Make Magazine, and currently shares projects on her personal blog and YouTube. Her approachability and clear teaching style demystify complex topics for beginners.

Luis Llamas

Nationality: Spanish

Luis Llamas is a Spanish Arduino guru who wears many hats: industrial engineer, open-source developer, and one of the Spanish-speaking world’s top tech bloggers. He runs LuisLlamas.es, a website full of well-crafted Arduino tutorials, ranging from the basics of I/O to advanced robotics and IoT projects.

As a content creator he has built a large following by explaining complex concepts in simple terms. Simultaneously, Luis has contributed over 20 Arduino libraries, covering things like signal filtering, state machines, and sensor drivers. He is active on GitHub and engages with his community via social media to improve these libraries. Llamas also teaches workshops and has appeared in Arduino Day events. His dual impact – via open-source code and education – has empowered countless Spanish-speaking makers to progress from blinking LEDs to building innovative electronics. Luis’s generosity in sharing knowledge and code exemplifies the community spirit at the heart of Arduino’s success.

Simone Giertz

Simone Giertz - Top 17 Arduino Developers

Nationality: Swedish

Simone Giertz has earned the tongue-in-cheek title “Queen of Sh*tty Robots,” but in the process has become one of the most famous Arduino-powered robotics makers in the world. A full-time inventor and YouTuber, Simone started out building quirky, comedic robots – like an alarm clock that slaps you awake or a lipstick-applying robot arm – and her viral videos turned her into an internet sensation.

While she playfully claims not to be a great programmer, Giertz’s projects actually showcase a clever use of Arduino for prototyping humorous solutions to everyday problems. Over the past decade she has built an online community that’s excited about engineering because of her work. Simone has collaborated with professionals to refine some inventions.

Through her YouTube channel (2M+ subscribers) and appearances on shows like MythBusters, she has introduced a diverse audience to Arduino and making – often without them even realizing it. Her authenticity and willingness to share her learning process have lowered intimidation around electronics. By inspiring people to build for fun and not fear mistakes, Simone Giertz has had an immeasurable impact on the maker movement and thus secured a spot among the Arduino elite, even if she’d modestly deny being an “elite” herself.

Cristian Maglie

Nationality: Italian

Cristian Maglie is a core Arduino software engineer whose contributions have quietly underpinned the Arduino IDE and libraries for years. Based in Italy, Cristian has been with Arduino’s development team, creating foundational code that every Arduino user benefits from. For instance, he wrote the official SPI library for Arduino’s AVR boards back in 2010, enabling Arduino to interface with SPI devices easily.

He also developed the Arduino Library Manager system, greatly simplifying how users install libraries. Maglie played a key role in Arduino’s networking stack too – contributing to the Ethernet library and the Yun’s Bridge library. He’s listed as author or maintainer for numerous official libraries. On LinkedIn he’s noted as a Senior Software Engineer at Arduino, and indeed he has been central to projects like the Arduino Zero and MKR board software support. Cristian is also active in the open-source community beyond Arduino, contributing to projects like Firmata.

He might not have the public persona of some others on this list, but whenever you initialize SPI or click “Add Library” in Arduino IDE, you’re likely using Maglie’s work. His dedication to robust, user-friendly API design in Arduino’s core has made life easier for millions of developers.

Ken Shirriff

Understanding how things work is incredibly rewarding, and explaining them helps others appreciate the beauty of engineering.

Nationality: American

Ken Shirriff is a programmer and hardware enthusiast renowned for bridging vintage electronics with modern Arduino projects. He is the original author of the Arduino IRremote library that allows Arduinos to send/receive infrared remote signals – a library found in countless TV, robot, and camera projects.

Ken’s contributions don’t stop there: his widely read blog “Ken Shirriff’s blog” (righto.com) features deep technical explorations, from reverse-engineering old chips to Bitcoin mining on an Arduino. A true hacker-scholar, Shirriff once restored a 1960s mainframe (IBM 1401) and even added the Bitcoin symbol to Unicode, exemplifying his range of interests. In the Arduino sphere, Ken’s IR library became a de facto standard; he documented how it works and how to decode obscure IR protocols on his blog, educating many in the process. He has also contributed to processing libraries and wrote detailed posts on Arduino internal workings (timers, PWM, etc.), which advanced users find invaluable.

While Ken has stepped back from Twitter recently, he continues to share knowledge via his blog and occasional conference talks. His work exemplifies curiosity and generosity – he not only builds interesting things but also takes the time to explain the “why” and “how,” enriching the global Arduino knowledge base.

Wrap Up

These legends represent exceptional talent, making them extremely challenging to headhunt. However, there are thousands of other highly skilled IT professionals available to hire with our help. Contact us, and we will be happy to discuss your hiring needs.

Note: We’ve dedicated significant time and effort to creating and verifying this curated list of top talent. However, if you believe a correction or addition is needed, feel free to reach out. We’ll gladly review and update the page.

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