Accepting Q3 engagements EST · 2017
Advanced engineering consultancy

Research-grade
software, shipped.

3rd Bit Labs partners with ambitious teams on the hardest problems in computer science — from distributed systems and cryptography to machine learning infrastructure and high-performance compilers. We move research into production.

9+
Years operating
40+
Shipped engagements
11
Whitepapers
92%
Client retention
What we do

Four disciplines. One standard.

We work in a small number of technically demanding domains where depth matters more than breadth. Every engagement is led by a principal engineer and grounded in peer-reviewed methods.

01 / Systems

Distributed systems & infrastructure

Consensus protocols, fault-tolerant storage, and planet-scale coordination. We design systems that stay correct when everything else fails.

  • Raft / Paxos
  • CRDTs
  • Kubernetes
  • Observability
02 / Cryptography

Applied cryptography & privacy

Zero-knowledge proofs, secure multi-party computation, and post-quantum migrations. Formal guarantees you can actually deploy.

  • zk-SNARKs
  • MPC
  • PQC
  • Confidential compute
03 / ML Systems

ML infrastructure & inference

Training stacks, custom kernels, and low-latency inference for large models. From first dataloader to production serving at scale.

  • CUDA / Triton
  • RAG
  • Fine-tuning
  • Eval harnesses
04 / Compilers

Compilers & programming languages

Domain-specific languages, JIT runtimes, and static analysis. When general-purpose tooling isn't fast, safe, or expressive enough.

  • LLVM / MLIR
  • Type systems
  • Static analysis
  • DSL design
How we work

Small teams. Deep problems. Durable code.

We're structured as a senior-only practice. Every engagement is staffed with people who have shipped the thing you need — not a pyramid, not a layer of junior proxies.

We begin with a short technical discovery, agree on falsifiable success criteria, and then deliver in short, reviewed increments. You keep the code, the designs, and the knowledge.

Most engagements run 6 to 16 weeks. We also offer ongoing advisory retainers for teams navigating a multi-year research roadmap.

/ 01

Discovery

Two-week paid scoping: problem framing, risk map, and a written technical plan with success criteria.

/ 02

Prototype

Spike the riskiest assumption first. Either it works, or we learn fast and change course together.

/ 03

Build

Production implementation in weekly reviewed increments. Your engineers pair with ours throughout.

/ 04

Handoff

Runbooks, docs, and a knowledge transfer. Optional retainer for continued advisory support.

Start a project

Tell us about the problem you're trying to solve.

We respond to every inquiry within two business days. If it's a fit, we'll schedule a 30-minute call with a principal engineer — no sales layer.

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