Munich Startup: What does Nexus Politics do? What problem are you solving?
Magnus Strobel: Nexus Politics develops a digital democracy platform. We address growing political dissatisfaction by giving citizens digital tools to raise concerns, follow political processes, and hold decision-makers accountable – integrated on one platform instead of fragmented across many individual solutions.
Digital democratic participation instead of fragmented individual solutions
Munich Startup: But that already exists, doesn’t it?
Magnus Strobel: There are indeed many good individual solutions – for citizen participation, petitions, or transparency, for example. What has been missing so far, however, is an overarching connection of these approaches. Our added value is precisely there: we think through the entire political process end-to-end – from the first problem report through political decision-making to implementation and follow-up. For citizens, that means a clear, comprehensible path instead of many isolated tools.
Munich Startup: What’s your founding story?
Magnus Strobel: My co-founder Christoph Waffler and I met through the TU München founder network. Very quickly we realized that we share common interests, complement each other professionally, and both want to improve the way democratic processes work. In April 2025, we received the EXIST founder grant. Since then, we’ve been working full-time on our shared mission to strengthen democratic participation digitally.
Thinking end-to-end: mapping political processes holistically
Munich Startup: What have been your biggest challenges so far?
Magnus Strobel: Beyond product development and fundraising, it’s primarily regulatory and legal issues. As a digital platform that works with artificial intelligence (AI) and is politically sensitive, we operate in a heavily regulated environment. GDPR, Digital Services Act, AI Regulation, and similar frameworks require great care and resources – but are equally central to creating trust and legal certainty.
Munich Startup: Where do you want to be in one year, and where in five years?
Magnus Strobel: In one year, we want to be established in Germany as the go-to destination for digital political participation – ideally with the idea: “If you have a political concern, go to Nexus Politics.” In five years, we see ourselves internationally in as many representative democracies as possible – for example in the EU, the USA, or Australia.
Munich as a strong foundation for political innovation
Munich Startup: How have you experienced Munich as a startup location so far?
Magnus Strobel: Very positively. We both come from TUM and have been active in the Munich entrepreneurship ecosystem for some time. Munich offers founders exceptionally good conditions – from intensive consulting to funding programs to workspaces and networks. Specifically, we benefit from TUM founder consulting, the TUM Incubator with free office space, and the Munich Impact Incubator – with training and mentoring, access to co-working space in Munich Urban Colab, and a strong network of actors from the city, business, and civil society.
Munich Startup: Outsource or do it yourself?
Magnus Strobel: When we have the necessary skills and resources, we like to do things ourselves – it gives us control and is often more efficient. For specialized topics, however, we’re open to outsourcing as long as it doesn’t affect our core competencies. What’s important to us is quality, strategic added value, and learning as a team.
