EPIS Thinktank

What EPIS Thinktank does

EPIS Thinktank e.V. is an independent, non-partisan student-led think tank founded in 2018 and headquartered in Berlin, Germany, structured as a German eingetragener Verein (registered association). Its primary constituency is students and young graduates across politics, economics, law, STEM, and area studies, who are organized into a 710+-person fellowship spanning 14 resorts and 91 groups across Europe. The organization operates as the 'bridge between students and practice' in international affairs, with a peer-reviewed publishing platform and direct engagement with practitioners through publications, delegations, and policy competitions.

EPIS is organized into five branches: the EPIS Network (the foundational membership tier for non-publishing Fellows), three domain-specific Thinktanks — FASP (Foreign Affairs & Security Policy), BSCA (Business Strategy & Corporate Affairs), and ILCJ (International Law & Comparative Jurisprudence) — and EPIS Consult, a student-run political consulting agency. Research output is produced through Working Groups, Format Groups, and Report Groups, yielding 360+ annual publications including briefs, in-depth papers, field notes, and magazine articles. Distribution runs through academic partnerships with Sciences Po, EU Studies, Vienna International Summer University, GUSEGG, and FUBiS Berlin, plus policy partnerships with YATA Portugal and the Global Diplomacy Leadership Academy, with EPIS Delegations attending 68 conferences in 2025. The organization also runs a podcast distributed via Anchor RSS.

The business model is fellowship-funded and non-commercial at the core: membership is free, applications are open anytime, and the organization states it is 'funded by the EPIS Fellows themselves' with no disclosed external commercial revenue streams. The only commercial-adjacent arm is EPIS Consult, which is described as 'partner-facing' and provides strategic advice, policy analysis, and stakeholder engagement services. Leadership rests with Chairman Theodor Himmel, and the overall structure reflects a volunteer-driven research and professional-pipeline organization rather than a revenue-generating enterprise.

Name

EPIS Thinktank

Legal name

EPIS Thinktank e.V.

Website

https://epis-thinktank.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

EPIS Thinktank e.V. is an independent, non-partisan student-led think tank founded in 2018 in Berlin, serving 710+ student and graduate fellows across Europe through peer-reviewed publishing, delegations, and consulting in international law, foreign and security policy, and business strategy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Policy Research & Think Tank Services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Management Consulting Services (54161), Marketing Consulting Services (541613)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Education Policy Research Institutes & Think Tanks (EDADADAA), Economic Research, Statistics & Policy Advisory (BPADAMAJ), Industry & Sector Research (Syndicated/Custom) (BPAHALAE)

Keywords

• Policy research services
• Foreign affairs analysis
• Security policy research
• International law research
• Student think tank

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership/Fellowship: EPIS is funded by the EPIS Fellows themselves. The organization is independent and non-partisan, with no external commercial revenue streams mentioned. It operates as a volunteer-driven student organization.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

EPIS Thinktank is an independent, non-partisan student-led think tank that runs a fellowship programme for students and young graduates (EPIS Network) and operates three specialised research thinktanks producing peer-reviewed publications on foreign affairs & security policy (FASP), business strategy & corporate affairs (BSCA), and international law & comparative jurisprudence (ILCJ). It supplements research output with delegations to international conferences, policy competitions, and a student-run political consulting agency (EPIS Consult) that delivers strategic advice and policy analysis to partner organisations.

Product overview

EPIS Thinktank operates as a multi-tiered research and consulting organization structured around the EPIS Network (the core membership platform), three specialized Thinktanks, and a consulting arm. The Thinktanks are organized by domain: FASP (Foreign Affairs & Security Policy) for global security analysis, BSCA (Business Strategy & Corporate Affairs) for corporate risk and geopolitics, and ILCJ (International Law & Comparative Jurisprudence) for legal scholarship. The EPIS Consult extends the think tank's expertise into paid consulting engagements. The organization functions primarily through Working Groups, Format Groups (producing briefs, papers, field notes, and magazines), and Report Groups that publish in-depth analytical reports.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• EPIS Network The foundational fellowship tier of EPIS Thinktank, connecting students and young graduates through events, discussions, newsletters, and professional networking opportunities with practitioners in international affairs, foreign policy, security policy, business strategy, and corporate affairs. All Fellows join the EPIS Network first and can subsequently qualify into the Thinktanks or Consult branches.
• Thinktank FASP (Foreign Affairs & Security Policy) The flagship EPIS think tank focused on global security topics. Through Working and Report Groups, it publishes briefs, in-depth articles, and magazine content (via the EPIS Magazine and other Format Groups) covering nuclear proliferation, conflict resolution, European security, peacekeeping, and broader foreign and security policy issues for students, young graduates, and practitioner readers.
• Thinktank BSCA (Business Strategy & Corporate Affairs) Specialist EPIS think tank offering sectoral analysis at the intersection of geopolitics and the boardroom. Provides research on supply chains, sanctions exposure, and corporate risk for member firms and partner organisations, qualifying Fellows from the EPIS Network into business strategy and corporate affairs research.
• Thinktank ILCJ (International Law & Comparative Jurisprudence) EPIS think tank offering law students an optimal platform for peer-reviewed publishing in international law and comparative jurisprudence, connecting them directly with legal professionals and experts.
• EPIS Consult A student-run political consulting agency that connects future leaders with real-world challenges by providing strategic advice, policy analysis, and stakeholder engagement services to partner organisations and member firms.

Quantifiable outcome

• 68 conferences in 2025 attended by EPIS Delegations

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Sciences Po Summer School (Policy Lab)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025EPIS Delegations attend Sciences Po Summer School Policy Lab, providing fellows with educational and networking opportunities in international affairs and policy analysis.
• Summer School: EU StudiesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025EPIS Delegations participate in EU Studies summer school programs, enhancing fellows' understanding of European policy and governance.
• Vienna International Summer UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025EPIS Delegations attend Vienna International Summer University, providing educational collaboration and professional development opportunities.
• Graz International Summer School Seggau (GUSEGG)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025EPIS Delegations participate in Graz International Summer School Seggau, offering interdisciplinary academic engagement.
• FUBiS (Freie Universität Berlin International Summer University)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025EPIS engagement with FUBiS for Europe, Migration, and Refugees subject course.
• YATA Portugal (Transatlantic Security)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025YATA Portugal 30 Years Reflecting Transatlantic Security seminar featuring EPIS participation.
• Global Diplomacy Leadership AcademyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025EPIS engagement with Geneva-based Global Diplomacy Leadership Academy 14-Day Programme for summer school collaboration.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Chatham House: The Royal Institute of International Affairs is one of the world's leading think tanks on international affairs, headquartered in London. It is directly comparable to EPIS Thinktank because both operate as independent, non-partisan policy research organizations focused on foreign affairs, security, and international law, although Chatham House is a far larger, professionally staffed incumbent rather than a student-led network.
• Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS): KAS is one of Germany's major political foundations affiliated with the CDU party, conducting policy research and educational programs on European and international affairs. It is comparable to EPIS Thinktank because both combine policy research with structured fellowship/youth programs targeting students and young professionals.
• German Marshall Fund (GMF): GMF is a US-based think tank dedicated to transatlantic cooperation and European policy. It is comparable to EPIS Thinktank because both engage European and transatlantic policy audiences on security, foreign affairs, and democratic governance, and both cultivate next-generation leadership through fellowship-style programs.
• Atlantic Council: The Atlantic Council is a major US-headquartered think tank on international affairs and security policy. It is comparable to EPIS Thinktank because both produce analysis on transatlantic security, geopolitical risk, and international relations, with significant thematic overlap with EPIS's FASP think tank.

Direct peers

• Clingendael Institute: Clingendael is a Dutch think tank on international affairs, security, and diplomatic training. It is directly comparable to EPIS Thinktank because both function as European think tanks producing analysis on foreign policy and security, with parallel educational/delegation programming aimed at students and early-career professionals.
• European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR): ECFR is a pan-European foreign policy think tank with offices across multiple European capitals. It is highly comparable to EPIS Thinktank because both serve as continental hubs for European policy analysis, foreign affairs, and security research, and both engage a distributed network of contributors across European member states.
• European Law Students' Association (ELSA): ELSA is the world's largest independent, non-political law students' association, with a pan-European network of members and local groups. It is directly comparable to EPIS Thinktank's ILCJ think tank branch because both operate as student-led international law organizations offering peer-reviewed publishing and professional engagement opportunities for law students.
• Carnegie Europe: Carnegie Europe is the Brussels-based European arm of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. It is directly comparable to EPIS Thinktank because both publish independent analysis on European foreign policy, security, and geopolitics, with overlapping thematic coverage in EPIS's FASP think tank.
• Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP): SWP is the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, headquartered in Berlin. It is directly comparable to EPIS Thinktank because both are Berlin-based organizations producing policy research on foreign affairs, security policy, and international relations, with EPIS positioned as a student-led complement to SWP's professional research staff.
• Hague Institute for Global Justice: The Hague Institute is a think tank focused on international law, peace, and justice issues. It is directly comparable to EPIS Thinktank's ILCJ branch because both concentrate on international law scholarship and connect emerging legal researchers to practitioners in the international justice ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/epis-thinktank

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about EPIS Thinktank