What Polis180 does

Polis180 e.V. is a Berlin-based, registered non-profit association (eingetragener Verein) founded in June 2015 that operates as a grassroots think tank for foreign and European policy, with a stated mission to amplify young voices in policy discourse. The organization structures its work around four thematic program areas — EU.ROPA (European affairs), Globale Fragen (global questions), Regionen der Welt (regional studies), and Beyond Berlin (geographic extension outside Berlin) — and delivers outputs through community-written publications (blog posts, policy papers, Polis Briefs, Polis Papers), four podcast series (MigraTon, Spotlight Asia, Brüsseler Bahnhof, The Climate Bridge Podcast), and recurring event formats including program meetings, Polis Teatime, Polis kocht! cooking discussions, and Fall Academies. The membership community exceeds 650 individuals (cited at 650 and 600+ across sources), comprising students, young professionals, and early-career policy experts who participate on a volunteer basis; the only identified paid staff role is the Coordinator of the Office (Geschäftsstelle).

The underlying technology stack is non-proprietary: the organization runs a WordPress-based website (polis180.org) with multilingual support and standard accessibility tooling (digi·access), without APIs, SDKs, or developer-facing infrastructure. Operations are run primarily by volunteers, with strategic decisions taken by a board (Präsidium) elected at annual general assemblies; the current leadership comprises co-presidents Etienne Höra and Lena Wittenfeld, treasurer Jona Grimm, and an extended board covering Community & Programme, Social Media & Public Affairs, IT, Publications & Podcasts, Fundraising, and Finance.

The business model is a non-commercial nonprofit funding structure with three revenue streams: recurring membership fees (governed by a fee schedule, amounts undisclosed), project-based grants from public and private funders (notably the German Federal Foreign Office for international programs, plus foundations including Otto Wolff Stiftung, Heinrich Eikenberg Stiftung, BMW Stiftung Herbert Quandt, Aktion Mensch, EVZ, and Guerrilla Foundation), and donations. Strategic partnerships are concentrated with the German Federal Foreign Office (core funder), the Georgian Institute of Politics (joint GEOYOUTH project), and the Goethe Institut (Digital European Futures), alongside a long tail of civil society, think tank, and educational partners. Activities are distributed primarily through the website, podcasts, social media (X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn), email newsletter, and in-person events in Berlin, Munich, and other German cities, with programming also reaching Georgia, the Caucasus, South Korea, China, and the United States.

Name

Polis180

Legal name

Polis180 e.V.

Website

https://polis180.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Polis180 is a Berlin-based, volunteer-run grassroots think tank founded in 2015 that engages over 650 young members in foreign and European policy through thematic programs, publications, podcasts, and events, funded primarily by membership fees, foundation grants, and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Policy Think Tank

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (81331), Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Think Tanks, Policy Research & Public Policy Institutes (BPAGAFAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Government, Public Policy & Regulatory Congresses (THAHAJAF), Legal, Justice & Human Rights Congresses (THAHAJAM)

Keywords

• Foreign policy think tank
• Grassroots civic engagement
• European policy analysis
• Policy community events
• Nonprofit policy research

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: Members pay fees to join and participate in Polis180. The organization has a fee structure documented in their 'Gebühren und Beitragsordnung' (fee schedule).
2. Public and private funding: Polis180 is funded through public and private grants, including support from German Federal Foreign Office, foundations, and other institutional funders. The organization receives funding for specific projects.
3. Donations: As a registered non-profit (gemeinnütziger eingetragener Verein), Polis180 accepts donations to support youth engagement in foreign policy.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Polis180 is a grassroots think tank for foreign and European policy that mobilizes young people through four thematic programs (EU.ROPA, Globale Fragen, Regionen der Welt, Beyond Berlin), projects such as GEOYOUTH and Generation Z(eitenwende), publications (policy papers, Polis Briefs, blog posts), podcasts (MigraTon, Spotlight Asia, Brüsseler Bahnhof, The Climate Bridge), and participatory event formats (Polis Teatime, Polis kocht!, Fall Academy). Members can author analyses, host podcasts, organize events, and engage directly with policymakers on European and foreign policy issues.

Product overview

Polis180 is a grassroots think tank for foreign and European policy, not a traditional software product company. Its offerings consist of non-digital programs and content: thematic program areas (EU.ROPA, Globale Fragen, Regionen der Welt, Beyond Berlin), publications (blog posts, policy papers, Polis Briefs, Polis Papers), podcasts (MigraTon, Spotlight Asia, Brüsseler Bahnhof, The Climate Bridge Podcast), and event formats (program meetings, Polis Teatimes, Polis kocht! cooking discussions). Projects like Generation Z(eitenwende), GEOYOUTH, and Digital European Futures organize youth engagement initiatives. There is no unified software platform or digital product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Thematic Programs (EU.ROPA, Globale Fragen, Regionen der Welt, Beyond Berlin) Four thematic program areas covering European affairs (EU.ROPA), global questions (Globale Fragen), regional studies (Regionen der Welt), and local engagement beyond Berlin (Beyond Berlin), organizing workshops, publications, and events for young people interested in foreign and European policy.
• Projects (Generation Z(eitenwende), GEOYOUTH, Polis kocht!, Europa kocht!, GrassrootsDigital, Digital European Futures) Project initiatives including Generation Z(eitenwende), Polis kocht!, Europa kocht!, GEOYOUTH, GrassrootsDigital, and Digital European Futures that engage young people in foreign policy discussions through creative and participatory formats.
• Publications (Polis Blog, Polis Briefs, Polis Papers, policy analyses) Analyses, policy papers, blog posts, and reports authored by the Polis180 community covering foreign and European policy topics, with formats including Polis Briefs and Polis Papers.
• Podcasts (MigraTon, Spotlight Asia, Brüsseler Bahnhof, The Climate Bridge) Audio podcasts covering topics such as migration, Asian geopolitics, European affairs, and climate policy through interviews and expert discussions, distributed via podcast platforms and the Polis180 website.
• Events (Program Meetings, Polis Teatime, Polis kocht!, Fall Academy, Webinars) Public discussions, program meetings, Polis Teatimes, and cooking events that bring together young people with policymakers and experts on foreign and European policy.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

23 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Georgian Institute of Politics (GIP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint project partner for GEOYOUTH initiative supporting youth participation in politics in Georgia. Polis180 and GIP collaborate on youth empowerment and democratic participation programs, including local election engagement and youth manifesto development.
• PolisiNminorOthersPartner organization listed in the partners section of the website.
• DSEE (Deutsch-Spanische und Spanisch-Deutsche Gesellschaft)minorOthersPartner organization listed in the partners section.
• Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung (bpb)minorOthersFederal agency for political education, partner for educational events and publications.
• Landeszentrale für politische Bildung (LpB)minorOthersState-level political education agency, co-host for events like Polis kocht! in Munich.
• forausminorOthersSwiss foreign policy think tank, similar organization to Polis180.
• HES_INNOKOminorOthersPartner organization listed in the partners section.
• Deutsche Gesellschaft für Auswärtige Politik (DGAP)minorOthersGerman Council on Foreign Relations, partner organization.
• NegotiationsUpminorOthersPartner organization listed in the partners section.
• Stiftung Neue VerantwortungminorOthersGerman think tank, partner organization.
• Impact Hub BerlinminorOthersInnovation and entrepreneurship hub, workspace partner.
• Hertie FellowsminorOthersNetwork of Hertie Foundation fellows.
• Global DiplomacyminorOthersPartner organization listed in the partners section.
• Centre for Public ImpactminorOthersMcKinsey Foundation initiative, partner organization.
• Allianz für AuslandsrechteminorOthersAlliance for foreign rights, partner organization.
• Akademie der KünsteminorOthersCultural institution partner.
• NovamondominorOthersPartner organization listed in the partners section.
• Frauen EuropaminorOthersWomen's organization in Europe.
• ConsentminorOthersPartner organization listed in the partners section.
• IFC - International Film CollegeminorOthersEducational partner.
• global.labminorOthersGlobal innovation lab network.
• indexminorOthersPartner organization listed in the partners section.
• Goethe InstitutcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Digital European Futures initiative on digitization and cross-sectoral collaboration. Supports interdisciplinary exchange on digitization at the intersection of technology, culture, and policy.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Stiftung Neue Verantwortung (SNV): Berlin-based independent think tank working on technology and public policy. Comparable in size and style to Polis180; explicitly listed as a Polis180 partner.
• Young European Federalists (JEF): Pan-European youth-led network promoting European integration and youth participation in EU policy. Mirrors Polis180's youth/membership-led GTM in the European policy space.
• Deutsche Gesellschaft für Auswärtige Politik (DGAP): Germany's Council on Foreign Relations — a Berlin-based think tank generating policy analysis, events, and talent programs on foreign and European policy. Direct peer as it operates in the same policy niche and is itself a Polis180 partner.
• Institut für Europäische Politik (IEP): Berlin-based policy research institute on European integration and foreign policy, comparable in size and German-Berlin orientation to Polis180, with similar publication/event output.
• foraus – Think Tank for Foreign Policy: Swiss grassroots-style foreign policy think tank using participatory methods with younger audiences. Closest structural analog to Polis180 in a neighboring market and a listed Polis180 partner.

Broad incumbents

• Körber-Stiftung: Major Hamburg-based civic foundation running the Berlin Foreign Policy Forum and youth programs like Körber Young European Dialogues. Comparable European/youth-policy focus but as a large foundation, not a volunteer-led think tank.
• European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR): Pan-European foreign policy think tank with multi-country presence and broad membership community. Comparable mission (European + global policy analysis) but at much larger institutional scale than Polis180.
• Centre for European Reform (CER): London-based think tank focusing on EU reform and European foreign policy. Overlaps with Polis180's European affairs and Youth/EU policy work from a broader incumbent position.
• Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP): Germany's largest foreign and security policy think tank, advising government. Operates in the same policy space as Polis180 but at significantly greater scale and with direct policy advisory mandate.

Regional players

• CIDOB – Barcelona Centre for International Affairs: Spain-based think tank generating analysis and events on international affairs and EU policy. Comparable on policy focus but primarily serving a Southern European audience rather than Germany directly.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/polis180
• Facebookfacebook.com/Polis180.de
• LinkedInde.linkedin.com/company/polis180-e-v-
• Instagraminstagram.com/polis180

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Polis180