Seeing the gap up close

Before founding Smart Bricks, Mohamed worked across investment banking, private equity, venture capital, and consulting, including as part of McKinsey’s AI and data practice.

It was there that he saw something clearly.

The world’s largest funds were using advanced data, proprietary models, and AI to guide investment decisions. Entire teams were dedicated to analysing risk, forecasting performance, and optimising capital allocation.

At the same time, most retail, and less sophisticated investors were making decisions with limited data and outdated tools.

The gap was structural, not incremental.

That insight became the foundation for Smart Bricks.

Rather than building another real estate tool, Mohamed set out to build infrastructure that could give individuals and smaller investors access to the same level of intelligence used by institutional players.

Building infrastructure, not features

One of the clearest themes in the conversation was Mohamed’s focus on systems over surface-level solutions.

Smart Bricks was designed from the beginning to operate at scale. The platform consolidates over a million data points across pricing, transactions, rental yields, and market dynamics, allowing users to assess opportunities with depth and consistency.

This approach was shaped directly by Mohamed’s time in consulting, where he saw how often companies failed by layering tools onto weak foundations.

The philosophy was simple: if the system is right, performance follows.

The role of London Business School

London Business School played a key role in shaping how that idea became a company.

As a MiM student, Mohamed was deeply involved in the entrepreneurship ecosystem, using the School as a place to test ideas, pressure-test assumptions, and learn from peers building in very different sectors.

That connection continued beyond graduation. Smart Bricks joined the LBS Startup Incubator and The Entrepreneurship Lab at London Business School. More than 20 LBS students and alumni have worked with Smart Bricks across strategy, research, and operations. Several became long-term collaborators and advisors as the company scaled.

The value, Mohamed noted, was not just access to talent, but access to perspective. The partnerships at LBS and beyond (with global accelerators like Techstars), made sure that they had answered all the questions investors had, and made it easy for them to invest.

What building at scale actually looks like

During the conversation, Mohamed spoke candidly about the realities of entrepreneurship.

Hiring does not always go to plan. Regulations evolve. Market conditions change. What matters is how a founder responds.

His background in high-pressure environments shaped how he approaches these moments. Decisions are made calmly, with a focus on understanding the root of the problem, and focusing on solutions, and contingency plans. His calmness has fed a culture and company that is solution-oriented, and incredibly flexible.

He also spoke about the importance of sustainability. As the company has grown, managing his energy has become part of how he thinks about performance. Not as lifestyle advice, but as a leadership discipline.

Looking ahead

Smart Bricks is now entering its next phase of growth, expanding its platform and deepening its role as infrastructure for global real estate investing.

For Mohamed, the ambition is clear. Build a company that gives people access to the same quality of insight once reserved for the largest institutions. Build it properly. And build it to last.

His journey from McKinsey’s AI team to Forbes 30 Under 30, and now to leading a globally backed technology company, reflects what is possible when experience, clarity, and execution come together.