Element
Pending verificationSecure, decentralised messaging built on Matrix — a UK alternative to Slack and Microsoft Teams.
Overview
Element is a London, United Kingdom-based European company building collaboration, messaging, and open source software since 2017. As an EU-headquartered provider, Element likely operates under GDPR, though EU Alts has not yet independently verified its ownership and hosting facts, so its exposure to the US CLOUD Act isn't confirmed yet — see the Details section below for what's known so far.
Why European teams pick Element
Teams in Europe consider Element when they want a collaboration provider that bills in EUR and keeps customer data under United Kingdom law, operating since 2017. Its EU headquarters is a good sign compared with well-known US incumbents, but EU Alts hasn't yet verified Element's ownership and hosting facts — check back once verification is complete.
See more EU collaboration tools or browse other startups from United Kingdom.
About
Element is a UK-based open-source messaging platform built on the Matrix decentralised protocol, developed by New Vector Ltd. Because Matrix is federated, organisations can run their own Element server (Synapse or Dendrite) on EU infrastructure and communicate with any other Matrix server globally, without routing messages through a central provider. Element offers end-to-end encryption via the Matrix Olm/Megolm protocol, cross-signing for device verification, spaces for channel organisation, and bridges to Slack, Teams, Discord, IRC, and other networks. Element is used by the French government (Tchap), German public sector, and many EU government agencies as a sovereign alternative to Microsoft Teams. The server component is open-source under Apache 2.0.
Details
- Founded
- 2017
- Headquarters
- London, United Kingdom
- Ownership
- Independently owned (United Kingdom)
- Company size
- 51–200 employees
Categories
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Frequently asked questions
What is Element?
Element is a UK-based open-source messaging platform built on the Matrix decentralised protocol, developed by New Vector Ltd. Because Matrix is federated, organisations can run their own Element server (Synapse or Dendrite) on EU infrastructure and communicate with any other Matrix server globally, without routing messages through a central provider. Element offers end-to-end encryption via the Matrix Olm/Megolm protocol, cross-signing for device verification, spaces for channel organisation, and bridges to Slack, Teams, Discord, IRC, and other networks. Element is used by the French government (Tchap), German public sector, and many EU government agencies as a sovereign alternative to Microsoft Teams. The server component is open-source under Apache 2.0.
What does Element do?
Element is secure, decentralised messaging built on matrix — a uk alternative to slack and microsoft teams. It is listed under collaboration, messaging, and open source on EU Alts because its core functionality serves teams looking for a European collaboration tool with EU data residency, typically as a switch away from well-known US incumbents.
Is Element a good European collaboration alternative?
Element is a fit for European businesses evaluating collaboration options where data residency and GDPR alignment matter — typical buyers include EU-based SaaS teams, public-sector projects, regulated industries (healthcare, finance, legal), and any organisation that needs to demonstrate that customer data does not leave the EU. It also overlaps with messaging and open source use cases.
Is Element GDPR compliant?
Element is headquartered in London, United Kingdom and falls under EU jurisdiction, so it likely processes user data under the GDPR by default. EU Alts has not yet independently verified Element's ownership structure or hosting location, so we can't yet confirm its exposure to the US CLOUD Act the way we can for verified entries.
How do teams switch from well-known US incumbents to Element?
Most teams considering a move from well-known US incumbents to Element are drawn to its EU headquarters and collaboration workflow fit. EU Alts hasn't yet verified Element's ownership and hosting facts, so treat any CLOUD Act or Schrems II conclusions as provisional until verification is complete. Plan a migration in stages regardless: export your data from the US incumbent, pilot Element with a small team, then move the rest once integration coverage is confirmed.
Where is Element based?
Element is headquartered in London, United Kingdom. The company was founded in 2017. Its main website is https://element.io.