The partnership that shapes elio to this day

It all began with an idea, a desk - and the determination to make a difference.
What started out as a one-man agency with big dreams is now a digital service provider with over 150 employees, four locations and a clear mission: to drive digitalisation forward.

This is thanks in part to the many partnerships that have supported us over the years and helped us move forward. "We have over 40 active partnerships, but one in particular stands out," says Sascha Vorderstemann, founder and CEO of elio GmbH. "It has laid the foundation for many of our other partnerships!"

We are talking about Shopware, elio's first important companion.

How Shopware and elio swam directly on the same wavelength

The journey with Shopware began in early 2011, when elio was still called Eliomedia GmbH. At that time, the employees and Sascha himself were looking for a suitable system that would include completely new functions. They were looking for a multi-shop system that would bundle three existing shops into one. Sascha's team immediately came across Shopware and was convinced from the start. Shopware was completely new territory for the young agency at the time, and yet this collaboration was to set the course for a successful future.

The pioneering project around Shopware 6

The next milestone in the company's history followed a few years later: the launch of the world's first Shopware 6 online shop by DT&Goldart in 2020. When the system, i.e. Shopware 6, was still in its infancy, it went live quickly - but it wasn't quite ready for the market yet. This is exactly where elio came into play: In close coordination with Shopware, feedback from the project with DT&Goldart flowed directly into the further development. Many of the findings had a significant influence on the new shop system. What helped? Trust, openness - and a partnership that has long since become a friendship.

When elio and Shopware decided to join forces in 2011, it was the starting signal for a real success story. A lot has happened in almost 15 years: elio specialised completely in Shopware at times and still works hand in hand with their development team today. The result? elio not only became a Shopware Platinum Enterprise Partner - it is also currently the most highly certified Shopware agency of all.

Most certified partner to date

"For our customers, this means less risk, more efficiency and better results," explains Simon Neuberger, CTO at elio. "Our certified developers and consultants know exactly how to set up Shopware projects properly, keep them powerful and customise them in a targeted manner - without any detours."

Further training is a top priority at elio: Every developer and project manager is given access to resources to continuously develop their skills. This is not just a nice extra, but is deeply rooted in our DNA - because standing still is not an option for us.

And because our colleagues get an early insight into the roadmaps and beta versions of Shopware, we can plan ahead and offer our customers real security for the future. Or as Simon puts it: "The certifications are not an end in themselves for us, but a promise to our customers - for quality at the highest level."

Why our partners are crucial to our success

What once began with a close collaboration with Shopware is now a broad-based, strategically grown partner network. elio now cooperates with over 40 partners from a wide range of areas - from hosting, infrastructure and software to PIM, ERP, IT security and monitoring.

Together, we develop solutions that are not only precisely tailored to our customers' requirements, but are also scalable, efficient and future-proof. Because one thing is clear: no large-scale digital project can be managed single-handedly. It requires a well-oiled team of specialists - and strong partnerships, such as with Shopware.

"When it comes to project complexity or the size of the projects, we can proudly say that we have already realised very, very large projects with Shopware!" says Sascha Vorderstemann.