aid: element-5
accessModel:
  pricing: unknown
  onboarding: unknown
  trial: false
  try_now: false
  public: false
  label: Unknown
  confidence: low
  source: []
  generated: '2026-07-22'
  method: derived
image: https://kinlane-images.s3.amazonaws.com/shared/apis-json/icons/element-5.png
name: element 5 AG
description: >-
  element 5 AG was a German e-commerce and digital-distribution company founded
  in 2000 and headquartered in Cologne, Germany. It operated a platform that let
  software developers and publishers sell their products and licenses directly to
  customers online, growing to more than 10,000 clients across 150 countries and
  becoming one of Europe's leading software e-commerce providers. element 5 was
  acquired by U.S.-based Digital River (its direct competitor) for roughly $120M
  and subsequently absorbed and renamed Digital River GmbH, ceasing to operate as
  an independent company. It was an early Earlybird Venture Capital portfolio
  company; this profile records its identity and exit. No live independent API or
  developer surface remains to enrich.
url: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/api-evangelist/element-5/refs/heads/main/apis.yml
x-type: company
x-source: vc-portfolio
x-backed-by:
- earlybird
x-tier: stub
x-tier-reason: defunct-acquired
x-status: defunct
x-acquired-by: Digital River (renamed Digital River GmbH)
x-founded: '2000'
x-headquarters: Cologne, Germany
x-enrichment-note: >-
  Earlybird's portfolio company element-5-ag is the defunct German software
  e-commerce firm (acquired by Digital River ~2004-2006). A live API exists at
  api.e5.ai, but that belongs to a DIFFERENT, unrelated US healthcare-automation
  company (Element5, San Jose) that is NOT an Earlybird portfolio company, so it
  is deliberately not attached here. No live domain (element5.com unresolved,
  element5.de parked on Sedo), docs, packages, or spec surface exists for this
  entity. Nothing to enrich without fabrication.
specificationVersion: '0.20'
created: '2026-07-17'
modified: '2026-07-19'
tags:
- Company
- E-Commerce
- Software Distribution
- Digital Goods
- Payments
- Germany
- Acquired
common:
- type: EarlybirdPortfolio
  url: https://earlybird.com/companies/element-5-ag
apis: []
maintainers:
- FN: Kin Lane
  email: kin@apievangelist.com
- FN: APIs.json
  email: info@apis.io
x-enrichment:
  date: '2026-07-19'
  status: backfilled
  pass: local-v1
  note: backfilled from .gitignore signal + verified work evidence