Three years after being acquired by Belgian telecom group Dstny, Egypt-born AI startup Tactful AI is returning to founder control. In a rare founder-led buyback, Mohamed Elmasry and Mohamed Hassan have reacquired full ownership of the company they started, opening a new chapter for one of MENA’s most advanced AI platforms in customer experience technology.
The deal marks a quiet but significant pivot in Tactful’s trajectory — from European acquisition back to homegrown independence, with a sharpened focus on scaling across the Middle East and Europe under local leadership.
A Quiet Exit from Dstny’s Portfolio
Tactful AI was acquired in 2022 by Dstny, a unified communications provider based in Belgium, as part of its strategy to enhance AI capabilities within its cloud-based business communication tools. Tactful’s platform was seen as a way to bring advanced conversational AI and real-time analytics into Dstny’s ecosystem.
But by mid-2025, Elmasry had quietly reclaimed full ownership in what insiders describe as a strategic divergence in product direction. While financial terms were not disclosed, sources familiar with the matter say the reacquisition was initiated by the founders to regain product and market focus.
In a statement, Elmasry said:
“This step represents a turning point for Tactful AI. We’re doubling down on what we do best — delivering intelligent CX technology purpose-built for modern enterprises in emerging markets, and tailored for export.”
Founded in Cairo in 2018, Tactful AI had positioned itself as a homegrown alternative to global customer support platforms like Zendesk, Intercom, and Genesys. Its platform allows businesses to manage 100% of digital customer interactions in real time, with automation tools that require little to no code to deploy.
The acquisition by Dstny gave Tactful access to the European market, with its team expanding to the UK and maintaining its R&D presence in Cairo. That international exposure proved formative: the platform now supports enterprises across telecoms, e-commerce, government, and hospitality.
With its independence restored, the company plans aggressive regional expansion into Saudi Arabia and the UAE, while building deeper roots in the UK and Western Europe through local support hubs and long-term strategic partnerships.
Building AI at Global Standards, from Egypt
Tactful AI says it has invested over $5 million since 2022 in platform development and AI research. Its flagship product — branded as the first fully Egyptian-developed customer experience AI platform — has helped clients increase digital revenue by between 15–35% in the first few months of adoption.
The company serves a client list that includes Fairmont, Address Hotels, Al Arabi Group, 2B, L’azurde, and Erada Microfinance. The platform is designed to scale across sectors, blending AI-powered chat, customer insights, automation, and omnichannel integration in a flexible, no-code environment.
“We’re not just building software,” Elmasry said. “We’re reshaping how customer experiences are delivered in the Arab region — and proving that world-class AI can be made in Egypt and exported globally.”
Founder-led buybacks are rare in the Middle East’s startup ecosystem, where acquisitions by foreign players are often seen as exit milestones. But Tactful’s return to independence highlights a growing trend among experienced founders — especially in the AI and enterprise SaaS spaces — seeking more control over product direction and market timing.
As MENA governments and investors continue to push for homegrown tech leadership — especially in AI — Tactful’s model may inspire similar strategies among startups navigating post-acquisition life.
With dual R&D bases in Cairo and Cambridge, a proven product, and a growing presence across three continents, Tactful AI is betting that this new chapter will be its most ambitious yet.
“We still view this achievement as just the beginning,” Elmasry said.