Zahoor has a background in construction and engineering, starting as an apprentice stone mason in Yorkshire before earning a degree in Construction Management and joining Amec Foster Wheeler. There, he worked on the Cygnus Project, helping design and manage the fabrication of four oil rigs in the North Sea. His experience in project management and execution gave him a strong foundation in building complex systems efficiently. After leaving engineering to pursue stock trading full-time, his curiosity for systems and decision-making led him to co-found Votap, where he drives the company’s vision and strategy.
What first inspired you to create Votap?
"Over the years, I’ve watched major political moments unfold, from Donald Trump’s first election to the Brexit referendum and felt the same mix of surprise and frustration that many people did. Even with politicians I generally agreed with, there were times I felt let down, and sometimes, I found myself respecting politicians I usually disagreed with.
What struck me was how little space there was to express that in a meaningful way, no way to give real feedback or see what others were thinking until the next election rolled around. I knew the biased media wasn’t a trustworthy source.
Around that time, while trading stocks full-time, I noticed how much a CEO’s reputation could influence a company’s share price. It was instant feedback — a live pulse on trust and performance. That got me thinking, why don’t we have something like this for politics?
That question became the starting point for Votap, a way for people everywhere to express their views on politicians in real time, and to see how public sentiment shifts day by day."
What’s the most exciting part of working on Votap?
"For me, the most exciting part of building Votap is watching a simple idea evolve into something that could genuinely reshape how people engage with politics.
Seeing users connect with it, cast their votes, and realise their opinions matter, that’s powerful.
It’s exciting to imagine the wider impact once it scales, a society where feedback to politicians is instant, transparent, and democratic."
What has been your favorite moment at Votap so far?
"The moment that stands out the most was when I first shared the idea with Alex. Those early conversations changed everything for me, hearing him fall in love with it and start adding his own thoughts was inspiring.
That was the moment Votap shifted from being just an idea in my head to something we were actually going to build and share with the world."