Element

Team messaging platform built on the open Matrix protocol with end-to-end encryption and federation.

📍 United Kingdom 🇬🇧, London

Product overview

Element is a team messaging tool based on the Matrix open standard, developed by a London-based company founded in 2017. It provides real-time chat organized in rooms, direct messages, voice and video calls, and file sharing. Because it runs on the Matrix protocol, Element supports federation: organizations can operate their own servers and communicate across independent deployments without depending on a single provider. This makes it a frequent choice for governments and defense organizations that need control over their communications infrastructure. NATO, the French government (through its Tchap deployment), the German armed forces, and the Swedish social insurance agency all use Matrix-based systems built with Element. The product is open source under the AGPL license, and a free community edition is available for self-hosting. For organizations that want managed hosting, Element offers enterprise subscriptions with features such as bridges to Slack and Microsoft Teams, administration tools, and single sign-on. The company has raised approximately $50 million in venture funding and holds ISO 27001:2022 certification. Element also develops Element Call, a standalone encrypted video conferencing tool built on Matrix. KEY FEATURES: - End-to-end encryption enabled by default for all messages and calls - Federation allows communication across independent server deployments - Open source with self-hosted, air-gapped, and cloud deployment options - Bridges to Slack, Microsoft Teams, and WhatsApp for cross-platform messaging - Administrative console with SSO, LDAP integration, and audit logging