Conversation with Mohamed El-Masry – MasterMinds

Today on MasterMinds, we meet a visionary engineer and entrepreneur who’s reshaping how technology connects people and businesses. Mohammed ElMasry, co-founder and CEO of Tactful , stands at the crossroads of innovation and impact—building intelligent systems that empower both companies and customers.

With a background in engineering and years of experience leading global teams, Mohammed has overseen the creation of digital products used by millions worldwide. At Tactful, a UK-based company redefining customer experience through its AI-powered omnichannel platform, he helps organizations streamline digital engagement, automate complex workflows, and deliver smarter, faster service—all without unnecessary complexity.

Beyond building technology, Mohammed is driven by a deeper purpose: to create tools that make business more human. His philosophy is simple yet powerful—technology should simplify connection, not replace it.

Whether leading teams across continents or mentoring future innovators, he continues to prove that meaningful tech begins with empathy and ends with impact.

I am originally from Upper Egypt and studied Electronics Engineering, graduating from Minia University in 2004. From the very beginning of my career, I was eager to create a space for technology in Upper Egypt. My journey started in 2004 when I founded a company in Luxor that specialized in providing technology solutions for tourist boats and floating hotels in Luxor and Aswan.

We introduced an automated internet service that didn’t require hotel staff intervention. It was an innovative solution, and thankfully, we succeeded in deploying it across many places in Luxor and Aswan. However, at that stage, I lacked managerial experience, so I couldn’t fully capitalize on the success. My main goal back then was to create a technological environment in Upper Egypt, an area deprived of much development and limited in job opportunities. I dreamed of building a company that could provide advanced tech services and serve as a seed for technological progress in the region.

I joined a group of creative young people, and together we founded Silicon Vision, a semiconductor company. We developed wireless technologies that were sold to global giants like Intel and Sony.

We managed to build products that were previously only possible in Europe or the U.S., as they required specialized skills. Thankfully, we succeeded in designing these products at a world-class level, and eventually, a major U.S. company acquired all of our technologies.

I decided to learn how to manage companies on a larger scale. I moved to the Gulf and joined a technology company specializing in cybersecurity, providing solutions for Ministries of Interior and Defense as well as the banking sector—solutions that were fully developed in the Arab world. I was the only engineer at the start of the company.

Later, I returned to Egypt after the January 25 Revolution, inspired by the change happening in the country, and I dreamed of restarting what I had begun before moving to Saudi Arabia.

Yes, we actually started with a completely different product. Initially, we wanted to develop a smart home platform that combined hardware and software, helping everyday consumers understand and adopt smart solutions. The idea was heavily based on user experience.

But the project was too big and required massive investment, so we broke it down into smaller components. We tested each part and eventually focused on the software segment that improves customer experience for businesses.

I didn’t want to simply bring in ready-made talent. My vision was to nurture a new generation of engineers, developers, and entrepreneurs who could build their own companies and solutions in the future.

We recruited fresh graduates and invested heavily in training and development. Today, they are delivering world-class results, and we’re preparing to expand our team further, especially in Cairo.

First, they need to build a team that shares the same dream. The journey is tough, and alignment between co-founders and employees makes it easier. Everyone must set aside personal interests and focus on achieving success together.

With a strong shared vision, teams can overcome challenges.
Second, founders must deliver real value to society. Only then can we build a strong Egyptian economy based on meaningful innovation.

I began thinking about starting my own company, which became Tactful. The company’s focus is building solutions for enterprises to improve customer engagement across all channels—phone, social media, and traditional touchpoints—powered by artificial intelligence. We help businesses understand customer needs and automate their services.

One of the main challenges for businesses today is meeting customer expectations. Consumers want fast responses, excellent service, and seamless interactions. This requires integrating multiple communication channels and consolidating customer data to help staff interact effectively, while automating much of the service process.

The result is improved efficiency, higher customer satisfaction, and more scalable businesses. We started small, but the company has now grown from just two people to over 60 engineers, some of the most talented professionals in the field.

The future looks bright. We now have a highly trained and capable team, and we’ve invested in developing their skills to deliver faster and better solutions. This gives us the opportunity to access a larger customer base in Europe and beyond.

Tactful AI is committed to delivering world-class innovation from local roots. With R&D hubs in Cairo and Cambridge, the company invests heavily in AI research to maintain its competitive edge in global markets.

I felt the journey was not over. I moved to Europe, aiming to be part of a global entity but with roots in the Arab world. I joined a major company in Cambridge, where I worked with a cross-continental team designing technologies that became embedded in everyday life.

That phase gave me valuable experience in understanding how global organizations function, from work culture to large-scale operational systems.

The biggest challenge was attracting engineers and talent who shared our vision and were willing to join a small company with limited resources to build a dream together. We needed people who could dream and believe in making it a reality.

The second challenge was funding. Raising capital is especially difficult for tech startups in the Middle East, as most investors prefer to put money into service-based businesses. Tech solutions often seem too risky, even though the same investors wouldn’t hesitate to invest in a similar company in Europe or the U.S., where the ecosystem is more favorable.

Over the past three years, Tactful AI has invested more than $5 million in developing its own artificial intelligence technologies, launching the first fully Egyptian AI product designed specifically for customer experience (CX) management.

The platform is currently used in several key markets across the Middle East and Europe, helping companies in retail, e-commerce, hospitality, and finance deliver smarter, faster, and more personalized interactions with their customers.

I hope to create a model from Egypt or the wider Middle East for developing globally competitive technology services.

I want our current team members to eventually become entrepreneurs themselves, founding new companies. My dream is to see technology built in Egypt and exported worldwide—with Tactful as the seed.

Although Tactful was established in the UK, our entire team is based in Cairo, and our first clients were in Egypt and the Gulf. Companies like El Araby Group, Etisalat Egypt, and Mubadala in Saudi Arabia were among the early adopters of our solution.

We chose the UK because setting up a company there is incredibly easy—you can do it online in minutes for the equivalent of just £20–25. The UK also actively supports tech companies through funding and logistical assistance. A large part of our initial financing came from British government support.

Our setup is international by design: I am based in the UK, our technical co-founder Mohamed Hassan is in Egypt, and our commercial partner Sherif Khairallah is in Sweden. Despite being in different countries, we worked seamlessly together.