Smart Israel, Founder and CEO of Smartel Agri-Tech, has been named the winner of the 2026 Global Citizen Waislitz Grand Prize, a $100,000 award presented annually by Global Citizen and the Waislitz Foundation to individuals whose work is helping to end extreme poverty.
Smart Israel founded Smartel in response to the ways resource conflicts, displacement, and climate change are driving hunger across Africa. In response, he built a climate-tech venture that uses AI-enabled, solar-powered hydroponic systems to help climate-vulnerable communities grow food without soil, in almost any environment.
Smartel has since deployed thousands of systems across Nigeria and Rwanda, helping thousands of farmers and families gain reliable access to nutritious food.
His work has been backed by credible organizations and partners, including Google, the World Food Programme, the Rockefeller Foundation, and the United Nations SDG Campaign.
The prize money will support Smartel’s next phase of growth: extending its hydroponic units to 5,000 additional households and developing an AI-driven recommendation and advisory platform to support commercial-scale farming operations.
«“My mission is to create empowering experiences for people at the intersection of technology and entrepreneurship. Through Smartel, we are working to democratize access to climate-smart food systems and ensure that underserved communities can build more resilient and sustainable futures. Receiving this award is deeply meaningful to me. It is a recognition that the work we are doing truly matters, and that every leap of faith, every setback we’ve overcome, and every bold step we’ve taken counts.»
«“I am deeply honored to be this year’s Global Citizen Prize recipient. Thank you.”»
— Smart Israel, Founder and CEO, Smartel Agri Tech.
Winners are selected against five criteria: global citizenship, proof of concept, disruption, scalability, and adaptability.