Riot

What Riot does

Element (formerly Riot, riot.im) is a UK-incorporated private company (Element Creations Ltd) founded in 2014 that builds secure communications software on the Matrix open standard. The company created the Matrix protocol in 2014 and now stewards it through the independent Matrix.org Foundation; Matrix is a decentralised, vendor-agnostic federation protocol for real-time messaging, voice, and video, analogous to SMTP for email. Element's product portfolio consists of the Element messaging client (consumer and professional use), Element Pro (professional tier with enhanced features), Element Server Suite / Synapse Pro (professionalised server software for sovereign large-scale deployments), and Element X (next-generation client). Technical differentiators include end-to-end encryption, decentralised federation across homeservers, support for air-gapped and isolated networks, mesh and satellite connectivity, and a zero-trust architecture with no central point of failure.

The company serves three primary segments: government and public-sector organisations (including military and defence), large enterprises seeking alternatives to vendor-locked productivity suites such as Microsoft Teams, and individual/consumer users adopting Element as a WhatsApp or Signal replacement. Named customers span HM Government, UNICC, Dinum, Bundeswehr, BWI, NATO, Gematik, Dataport, US Space Force, US Marine Corps, US Navy, Försäkringskassan, Hexagon, and the Fedora Project. Revenue is generated primarily through recurring subscriptions for Element Pro and Element Server Suite, enterprise support and SLAs, and a freemium self-hosted tier; enterprise pricing is quote-based. The go-to-market combines enterprise field sales (for government and defence deployments), a self-serve product-led motion (free Element app downloads), and community-led growth via the Matrix open-source ecosystem, supplemented by an implementation partner channel that includes IBM, Bechtle, BearingPoint, Adesso, Nordeck, Adfinis, and Materna.

Element is positioned around European digital sovereignty, with documented endorsements from German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and the Bundesministerium für Digitales und Staatsmodernisierung, and holds ISO/IEC 27001:2022, Cyber Essentials Plus, OpenChain ISO/IEC 5230, and Digital Public Goods recognition. The company operates with 51–100 employees, has no parent company or public listing, and reports 200M+ users and 100K+ deployments across the broader Matrix ecosystem.

Name

Riot

Legal name

Element Creations Ltd

Website

https://riot.im

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Element (formerly Riot) is a UK-based secure communications platform built on the Matrix open standard, offering end-to-end encrypted messaging and collaboration for governments, defence organisations, and enterprises seeking digital sovereignty alternatives to Microsoft Teams and WhatsApp.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Secure Messaging and Collaboration Software

NAICS

Security Systems Services (56162), Investigation and Security Services (5616)

SIC

Services-Detective, Guard & Armored Car Services (7381)

akta.pro primary industry

Network Security Managed Services (Firewall/IDS/IPS/SASE) (BPAEADAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Security Systems Monitoring & Dispatch (SOC/Remote Guarding) (IMAIAEAF)

Keywords

• Secure messaging software
• Team collaboration tools
• Encrypted communication platform
• Enterprise messaging solutions
• Open source protocol

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Element Pro Subscription: Premium messaging application subscription for professional/enterprise use with enhanced features beyond the free tier.
2. Element Server Suite: Professional server software for hosting Matrix-based solutions at scale. Includes Synapse Pro and support SLAs for enterprise deployments.
3. Enterprise Support and SLAs: Professional support services and service level agreements for government and enterprise customers requiring dedicated assistance.
4. Self-Hosted Free Tier: Free Element app and open source Matrix server options for organisations that want to self-host without purchasing professional tiers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Riot provides an open, secure, and interoperable communication platform for work and home, built on the Matrix open standard. The company offers the Element messaging client with end-to-end encrypted messaging and voice/video calls, the Element Pro professional tier, and Element Server Suite for sovereign self-hosted deployments by governments, militaries, and enterprises.

Product overview

Element offers a platform-plus-modules product architecture built on the Matrix open standard for secure, sovereign communications. The core product portfolio includes Element (the primary messaging and collaboration app), Element Pro (professional tier), Element Server Suite (enterprise server deployment), and Element X (next-generation client). The Matrix Standard serves as the foundational open protocol enabling interoperability and federation. The platform is positioned as an alternative to vendor-locked solutions like Microsoft Teams and WhatsApp, targeting government and public sector organisations requiring digital sovereignty.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Element Pro: Professional application for secure workplace collaboration
• Element Server Suite
• Matrix
• Synapse Pro

Products and services

• Element (Riot) Messaging Application Primary secure messaging and collaboration client built on the Matrix open standard, offering end-to-end encrypted messaging, voice and video calls, and real-time communication with cross-organisational federation for individuals and teams.
• Element Pro Professional tier of the Element messaging application offering enhanced features and capabilities for professional and enterprise users, sold as an annual subscription.
• Element Server Suite (ESS) Professionalised Matrix-based server solution that organisations can host to deploy sovereign, interoperable, and secure real-time communications at scale, including Synapse Pro and support SLAs for enterprise deployments.
• Element X Next-generation Element client application with improved performance and user experience, representing an evolution of the core Element messaging platform.
• Matrix Standard (Matrix Open Standard) Open standard for secure and sovereign real-time communication created in 2014, enabling decentralised, vendor-agnostic federation across different Matrix server implementations and supported by an open ecosystem of vendors and developers.
• Enterprise Support and SLAs Professional support services and service-level agreements for government and enterprise customers requiring dedicated assistance, packaged with Element Server Suite and Element Pro subscriptions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 77% of IT leaders say their organisation struggles to maintain privacy and control of data shared via communications technologies (Forrester Consulting study commissioned by Element)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AdessocoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTechnology integrator and IT services provider offering Element implementation and deployment services for enterprise customers in German-speaking regions.
• BechtlecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEuropean IT system house and technology integrator providing Element deployment and integration services.
• IBMcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGlobal technology giant providing enterprise integration and implementation services for Element deployments.
• NordeckcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTechnology partner specialising in Matrix-based solutions and Element implementation.
• BearingPointcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerManagement and technology consulting firm offering Element deployment consulting services.
• DL TelekomminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTelecommunications provider offering Element distribution and services in German market.
• ZendisminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDigital services provider reselling and distributing Element solutions.
• AdfinisminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerOpen source technology integrator providing Element implementation and support services.
• MaternaminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerIT services company offering Element deployment and integration services.
• RaytheonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDefence and aerospace company exploring secure communications solutions based on Element and Matrix.
• Open Source Business AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman association promoting open source software; Element featured as advocate for digital sovereignty through open source.
• Matrix.org FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation governing the Matrix open standard created by Element in 2014. Element leads the development and stewardship of the protocol.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Wire: Wire offers end-to-end encrypted messaging, voice, video and collaboration for enterprises and governments, and is one of Element's closest direct competitors in the secure enterprise and sovereign communications category.
• Rocket.Chat: Rocket.Chat is an open-source team chat platform with a Matrix federation bridge, self-hosted and air-gapped deployment options, and a focus on defence, government and regulated industries — directly competing with Element's secure, sovereign collaboration proposition.
• Signal: Signal is the leading end-to-end encrypted consumer messaging app and competes with Element's free Element messenger for privacy-conscious individual users; it is also increasingly adopted by governments and defence teams as a secure communications layer.
• Wickr (Amazon Web Services): AWS Wickr is an end-to-end encrypted messaging and collaboration service targeting government, defence and enterprise users, and is a direct competitor in the secure sovereign communications category that Element addresses with Matrix-based offerings.
• Mattermost: Mattermost provides self-hosted, open-source collaboration and messaging aimed at defence, government and highly regulated enterprises, with air-gapped and sovereign deployment options that compete directly with Element Server Suite and Element Pro.
• Threema: Threema is a Swiss end-to-end encrypted messenger with business and government editions (Threema Work, Threema Education), competing head-to-head with Element for European sovereignty-driven buyers in DACH and EU public sector.

Broad incumbents

• Microsoft Teams: Microsoft Teams is the dominant enterprise collaboration suite and the primary incumbent that Element explicitly positions against; it competes across the same enterprise messaging and meeting use cases, but as part of a much broader productivity portfolio.
• Cisco Webex: Cisco Webex is a large incumbent enterprise messaging, meeting and collaboration platform with end-to-end encryption options and FedRAMP-authorised offerings, competing with Element for enterprise and government collaboration budgets.
• Slack (Salesforce): Slack, now part of Salesforce, is a leading enterprise team messaging platform with Slack Enterprise Grid and Slack Connect for cross-organisation collaboration, competing with Element for enterprise chat and inter-organisation communications.

Emerging players

• Keybase (Zoom): Keybase, acquired by Zoom, offers end-to-end encrypted messaging and file sharing and now underpins Zoom's secure communications roadmap, intersecting with Element's secure collaboration positioning particularly in enterprise and developer communities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• GitHubgithub.com/element-hq
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCTW5bZLYK97SllqUQDwuxnA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/riot.im
• Xx.com/RiotChat

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Riot