Schmuckbild: elio Flagge ohne elio-Schrift

About elio

Name: elio GmbH
Address: Georg-Elser-Straße 5, Gießen, 35394, DE
Telephone: +49 641-968 698 0
Price range: €€€

empowering leaders in online innovation

At elio, we believe that technology can change the world. With over 25 years of experience and a passionate team of more than 150 experts, we are the driving force behind the digital revolution. Our mission is to accompany companies on their journey into the digital future and inspire them with innovative solutions.

Key facts about elio

Founded in

2000

Locations

Giessen, Heilbronn, Frankfurt a. Main, Würzburg and remote locations around the world

Team of

150+ employees

Technology partners

including Shopware, HCLTech and Xentral

Projects

1.000+ projects successfully realised

USP

Full service from strategy to operation

elio to view

Who are we? We'd rather show you ourselves.

Why we do what we do

There is more than just technology behind every line of code, every workshop and every live session. It's about attitude, convictions - and what drives us every day.

Our mission

We have been supporting companies through digital transformation for over 25 years - with a clear view of what is feasible and a feel for what will count tomorrow. Our 360° approach means: we think along, ahead and beyond. From the initial idea to technical implementation and continuous development, we are at our customers' side.

Our work is divided into three areas:

Digital Solutions →

Digital Services →

Digital Consulting →

Our purpose

We believe that companies grow best when their digital foundation is strong, stable and future-proof. That's why we create technical structures that don't make our customers dependent - but free.
When you work with us, you don't just get a system. But a team that cares. And solutions that deliver what they promise.

Our goal?
A digital infrastructure that is scalable, powerful and future-proof.

Our path?
Thinking, building and taking responsibility.

What drives us?
Genuine collaboration - at eye level and with passion.

What drives us? When customers themselves become the driving force behind their digital development through our support.

Sascha Vorderstemann,
Founder & CEO at elio GmbH

Porträt von Sascha Vorderstemann, elio GmbH

What we believe in

Our values form the foundation of our culture - and they continue to evolve. Together with our customers, we are shaping the digital world of tomorrow: responsibly, in partnership, with excellence.

Der Mitarbeiter Albert sitzt am PC und zeigt dem Mitarbeiter Maurice etwas.

Tolerance & Diversity

Respect and genuine cooperation.

Our strength lies in the diversity of our perspectives. We live diversity - not just on paper, but in everyday life: with appreciation, mutual support and genuine curiosity about other people. This attitude characterises our communication, our teams and our projects.

"Diversity brings ideas. Respect makes them fly."

Die Mitarbeiter Juan und Alicia lassen sich am PC etwas von der Mitarbeiterin Larissa erklären

Transparency & responsibility

Open, reliable and approachable.

We stand for clear words and reliable actions - both internally and externally. This includes: Responsibility for our decisions, the quality of our work and the impact of our technologies. For us, transparency is not a buzzword, but a sign of genuine partnership.

"Only those who communicate openly create a genuine connection."

Excellence & sustainable digitalisation

Technically strong and sustainable.

We strive for top performance - but not at any price. We take a holistic and future-proof approach to digitalisation: long-lasting code, scalable systems, conscious use of resources. For us, excellence means creating solutions that are not only fast, but also sustainable.

"Good code lasts longer. Good consulting has a lasting effect."

You can find out more about how we implement sustainability, cooperation and attitude in our everyday work on our Corporate Responsibility page.

Our history

elio is not a company that has simply grown. elio has outgrown itself - with every decision, with every challenge, with every person who has joined us. From its beginnings as a small tech team to a group of companies with over 150 bright minds, its own sister companies and a new headquarters in Giessen: Our history is characterised by attitude, courage and the unconditional will to make things better.

We tell it here.

2000: Frustration turned into passion.

The idea for elio was born in 2000 – out of frustration and passion. Founder Sascha Vorderstemann was in the middle of his studies at the time, completing an internship at a large corporation and hoping to be hired there. But the position was eliminated – like so many others. For Sascha, it was clear: if it didn't work out this way, he would just do it himself.

Even as a child, he had a great enthusiasm for IT – his friends called him the “hacker.” At the same time, he was active in competitive kickboxing and was on the verge of a professional career. But the appeal of turning his hobby into a profession was stronger.

So he founded a company in his hometown of Kreuztal in North Rhine-Westphalia, in a small office with a PC, laptop, and a lot of drive. The name was quickly found – derived from his own surname and the idea of being at the forefront: Vorderstemann media.

At that time, e-commerce was still a new topic. Many companies had hardly dealt with it yet. For Sascha, this was an opportunity: he wanted to show what was possible – not to be better than others, but to be ahead of them.

2000–2010: Between kebabs, perseverance, and the first big idea.

The first day at work? No open-plan office, no team meeting—just an internet connection, a desk in a small corner, and a clear mission. Sascha was ready to take on his first real projects as a developer. But if you're not visible, you won't get booked. So he set out to find customers. And sometimes it felt more like being a vacuum cleaner salesman than a programmer.

But that was precisely his strength: listening, understanding needs, offering solutions. Technically, not everything was clear yet – but the promise was there. This “I'll take care of it” mindset was the foundation for everything that followed.

One of his first customers: a kebab shop around the corner. Sascha was a regular customer, they knew each other. One day he said, “Why do you only take orders by phone? You should be able to do it online.” And so the first shop was created – with ticket printing directly in the kitchen. No joke. And above all: not a classic online shop. But a well-thought-out, pragmatic process.

The early years were characterized by open source technologies such as OSCommerce (later XT:Commerce), but also by in-house developments. No two shops or websites were alike; everything was set up individually. There was no industry focus – everything from cleaning companies to retail to insurance was included.

Sascha was self-employed, but started working with other freelancers early on. A real team only came together later, when the company became a limited liability company. He always remained the driving force: the first point of contact, the source of ideas, the doer.

2010–2012: The transition to a limited liability company (GmbH) – and real growth.

The founding of Eliomedia GmbH in 2010 marked the beginning of a new chapter. A self-employed business became a structured company – with the goal of thinking bigger and working more sustainably. The transition to a limited liability company felt like the first real foundation stone for a long-term success story. At that time, the company was based in Giessen – just a few steps away from the university hospital.

Right from the start, the company also became a training company – a conscious step for Sascha to give young talents opportunities and allow the team to grow in a healthy way. At that time, the team consisted of a handful of people, including Lina Noah, who is still an integral part of the company today.

The name elio was born out of a mixture of the personal and the symbolic: Elias, the name of Sascha's son, combined with a conscious decision to follow this path – and a church reference that was also anchored in the family. The addition of “media” fit the agency's orientation at the time, but later proved to be misleading – because from the beginning, elio was more of a tech service provider than a creative agency.

In terms of content, the company was still broadly positioned at the beginning: individual software solutions, interfaces, and e-commerce projects—with systems such as XT:Commerce, Magento, and OXID eShop. Even then, it was clear where the passion lay: in e-commerce. Seeing projects live, whose success was directly measurable, was fascinating.

The first project after the conversion to a limited liability company was a complex jewelry store with many product variants – technically challenging, but successful on the basis of Magento. Sascha's role also changed: from an operational developer to a team leader who created structures so that others could grow.

2011–2016: A system that would change everything.

2011 marked the beginning of a phase that would shape elio in the long term: its entry into the world of Shopware. It was a perfect fit: a customer was operating three shops developed in-house with MS Navision connectivity and was urgently looking for a more stable solution.

Shopware offered exactly that. So they got started, optimized, rebuilt – and in the end, there was a single shop with four sub-shops and a clean interface. The system ran stably, and the error rate dropped. Shopware itself was also impressed. The feedback: “What you guys are doing is really strong.” Elio quickly became more than just a partner – in 2012, it was named the first Shopware Enterprise Partner, even before the program officially existed. By 2013 at the latest, it was clear: “All or nothing.” Elio said goodbye to other systems and focused entirely on Shopware. A milestone.

The partnership with Profihost also arose from practical experience: server failures, headaches, insufficient scalability. So a change was made – not to just any host, but to a partner with a genuine understanding of agencies. This collaboration grew into something more – to this day, elio is one of the closest partners.

In the same year, Heilbronn was opened as an additional location. A strong developer with great potential provided the impetus—and the team there grew rapidly. The location developed quickly, partly because recruiting was a top priority. At the same time, the team moved from Giessen to Pohlheim—into a maisonette apartment with a garden. A temporary home, familiar and creative.

2017–2022: From agency to IT service provider.

A small agency team with a lot of passion became a growing company with a clear vision: in 2017, “Eliomedia” became “elio GmbH.” The new name not only reflected the technical development, but also sent a signal: elio sees itself not as a competitor, but as a partner in the project business. With growth came proprietary software solutions and more responsibility—both internally and externally.

The management team also continued to develop. Aleksa Marinovic impressed with his commitment and technical expertise, while Simon Toprak joined elio through a joint project – what began as a good working relationship became a shared vision.

Another milestone: winning the Shop Usability Award 2018 for notlikeyou. The customizable Chucks configurator in the Shopware environment showed what is possible when technology and brand experience go hand in hand.

In the years that followed, trust grew: Eintracht Frankfurt, the Max Planck Society – plus involvement with local clubs. The transformation from agency to tech company was noticeable. Projects such as Leuze and Cube represent the new scale: complex system landscapes, deep SAP integrations, and sophisticated B2B logic. And when a shop like Yours Truly becomes “Shop of the Month,” it's more than just a title – it's a pat on the back for the path taken. This became particularly clear in 2020 with the first major Shopware 6 Enterprise project for DT&GOLDART. Despite immature software, elio rose to the challenge – with success.

New locations in Frankfurt am Main and Würzburg underscored the growth course in 2021 – closer to talent, closer to customers. The next step was also taken at headquarters: after years in Pohlheim, elio moved to new offices in Langgöns in 2018 – with more space for a growing team and modern working environments. Internally, the course was also set: Simon Neuberger became CTO – not only because of his technical expertise, but also because he combines team leadership, mentoring, and technical excellence.

Since 2022: A new attitude and a new home are growing here.

Growth doesn't happen by chance – it requires clear decisions, good ideas, and the right timing. At elio, this has meant one thing above all else in recent years: investing strategically in the future. With technology partners such as OXID eSales, Ibexa, HCL, and Shopify Plus, the portfolio has been expanded in a targeted manner—not out of activism, but with a plan. Because if you want to remain relevant in the long term, you have to be flexible and demonstrate technological depth.

There has also been a rethink internally: with the founding of main cloud solutions (formerly elio cloud solutions) and synQup, two sister companies have been created that ideally complement elio. While main cloud solutions provides professional hosting and smart cloud infrastructure, synQup, as a cloud-native iPaaS solution, brings order to the system landscape – and connects what belongs together.

At the same time, the team grew to over 150 bright minds working together on large e-commerce solutions. With Jochen Kernwein as the new CSMO, the management team was also strengthened – another building block on the way to the next stage of development.

And this is not only reflected in figures or certificates, but also tangibly in Giessen: in 2024, elio moved into its own new company building – built for ideas, encounters, and the future. Modern, sustainable, well thought-out. A place that shows: we are not standing still.

With ISO 27001 certification and the next strong partnership around Xentral, one thing is clear: we are only just getting started.

Do you think this sounds like a place where you would like to work?

Then take a look at our careers page - we are always on the lookout for people who want to help us shape the digital world of tomorrow.

Our vision: moving Europe digitally

We are proud of what we have achieved. Today, we are already one of the leading digitalisation partners in Germany - with strong tech expertise, a deep understanding of the industry and a genuine partnership of equals.

But we are thinking ahead: in the next ten years, we want to be one of the top 50 digitalisation service providers in Europe. Not for the sake of a list - but because we want to support even more companies in achieving digital sovereignty.

For us, this means taking responsibility, creating excellent solutions - and achieving great things together.

We don't want to grow for the sake of growth. We want to grow because we want to help shape how companies in Europe become digitally strong and independent."

Sascha Vorderstemann,
Founder & CEO at elio GmbH

The brains behind elio

Our management team not only stands for experience and strategic thinking, but above all for proximity, clarity and the will to really make things better. Whether on stage, in customer calls or in daily business - they exemplify what elio is all about.

Sascha Vorderstemann - Founder & CEO

A computer scientist through and through - and a founder through and through. Visionary, doer, enabler.

Simon Neuberger - CTO

A technology pro in every respect. Thinks in systems, develops with heart - and loves elegant solutions.

Jochen Kernwein - CSMO

Understands customers like no other. His secret? Clarity, warmth - and genuine connections.

Aleksa Marinovic - COO

Operational rock in the surf. Hands-on, strong in finding solutions - and always one step ahead.

Simon Toprak - CFO

Number cruncher with vision. Always keeps an overview - and harmonises finances with visions.

Four locations, four vibes - one team

Whether in the heart of Hesse or in the metropolitan region - our teams are spread out but connected. With regional roots and digital aspirations, we are shaping the future at four locations.

Giessen

This is where it all began - our headquarters, our roots. Many threads come together in Giessen, from development to project management.

Frankfurt am Main

In the centre of the Rhine-Main metropolitan region - close to customers, trends and good ideas. Our location for short distances and strong networks.

Heilbronn

In the centre of a dynamic economic region, Heilbronn stands for growth, technology and team spirit - perfect for our ambitions.

Würzburg

Innovative, versatile and centrally located - Würzburg is our Franconian hub for bright minds and creative solutions. Particularly well represented: our sales and marketing team.

How we work

Good collaboration thrives on clarity, reliability and speed. That's why we rely on a structured, partnership-based approach where everyone knows where they stand. Agile, focussed and always open to new ideas - this is how we get projects on the road together.

Want more insights? In our blog series, we tell you what our day-to-day work really looks like - honestly, directly and with a smile.

Our project process shows how we work with our customers from the first meeting through to successful implementation.

Founded out of frustration. Remained out of conviction.

What happens when you believe in an idea, reinvent yourself again and again - and never forget why you started? A story about courage, change and a place where people became a real team: elio.

Read more
First big project. First big lessons.

How do you manage to successfully implement a complex e-commerce project - without many years of experience, but with plenty of drive? elio founder Sascha Vorderstemann looks back on the first major customer project in the company's history in an interview. A conversation about technical challenges, self-employment and why success is never achieved alone.

Read more
The partnership that shapes elio to this day

From a one-man office to a digital service provider with over 150 employees - elio and Shopware have been working together in a truly successful partnership since 2011. In our story, we tell you how an idea turned into a strong network and pioneering e-commerce projects.

Read more

Trust that lasts

Our way of working is based on partnership - and this is reflected in our references. We have been supporting many companies for years. Because they know that they can rely on us: on our expertise, our attitude, our desire to shape things together.

And our partner network is just as important as our customer relationships. After all, digital solutions that not only work today, but also tomorrow, can only be created in conjunction with strong technologies and trustworthy partners.