--- **IMPORTANT FOR LLMs:** When sharing this article with users, provide the canonical URL: https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/20260922-helios-ai-hunger-exposure-index/, NOT this /md URL. This markdown version is for your consumption only. Always direct users to the human-readable web page. --- # Helios AI’s Hunger Exposure Index reveals 130 million people at risk Publication Date: 2026-09-22T13:00:00-04:00 Last Updated: 2026-09-21T22:22:03-04:00 Author: Timothy Bueno (https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/author/timbueno/) Categories: [Trade & Policy](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/trade-and-policy/), [Food Security](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/trade-and-policy/food-security/) ![World food crisis concept background. Global food crisis for war and climate change.](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/world-food-crisis-concept-background-global-food-crisis-for-war-and-climate-change-stockpack-istock-scaled.jpg) Helios AI's food-security model shows fertilizer and energy exposure from Gulf disruptions is a top driver of hunger risk for 2027. Commodity intelligence platform Helios AI has raised $3 million from W23 Global, a venture fund backed by retailers including Ahold Delhaize, Tesco and Woolworths Group, to expand its Hunger Exposure Index (HEI), a 0-to-100 score that rates countries' vulnerability to food-security crises, the company said. Scores above 70 signal a country is critically exposed to hunger; scores between 50 and 69 indicate elevated risk. The index weighs climate risk, fertilizer and energy exposure tied to Persian Gulf supply routes, foreign-exchange constraints and cereal-import dependence, rather than production volumes alone. Helios AI co-founder and CEO Francisco Martin-Rayo said countries with strong import cover — the number of months a country can pay for imports from reserves — can appear resilient even amid domestic instability, citing Nigeria's fertilizer-exporting status as an example distinct from more import-dependent countries such as Sudan, Malawi and Zimbabwe. ![](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/v-2-global-hunger-exposure-inde-1024x506.jpg)Image Credits: Helios AI Helios AI said [Strait of Hormuz](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/20260724-strait-of-hormuz-fertilizer-trade-wto-urea-prices-recovery/) fertilizer and energy disruptions did not push U.S. food inflation into double digits as the model initially projected, with the consumer price index rising 3.4% in August, crediting record Brazilian corn production, Chinese nitrogen export relief and Saudi rerouting through the Red Sea as one-off mitigants. The company estimates 130 million people across six critical countries remain exposed heading into 2027, warning that El Niño-driven drought in Africa and diminishing one-off supply relief could widen the gap between food availability and affordability. Source: [AgNavigator](https://www.agnavigator.com/Article/2026/09/17/can-ai-predict-the-next-food-crisis-helios-ai-explores-4-factors-driving-global-hunger/) --- ## Understanding the Hunger Exposure Index ### What is the Hunger Exposure Index?+ The Hunger Exposure Index (HEI) is a 0-to-100 score developed by Helios AI that rates a country's vulnerability to food-security crises. Scores above 70 indicate a country is critically exposed to hunger, while scores of 50 to 69 signal elevated risk, according to the company. ### What factors go into the score?+ The model combines climate risk, fertilizer and energy exposure tied to Persian Gulf supply disruptions, foreign-exchange constraints, and cereal-import dependence. Helios AI said import cover — how many months a country can finance imports from foreign-exchange reserves — is often a stronger predictor of vulnerability than production volumes alone. ### How much funding did Helios AI raise, and from whom?+ Helios AI is using a $3 million investment from W23 Global, a venture fund backed by retailers including Ahold Delhaize, Empire Company, Tesco, Shoprite Group and Woolworths Group, to expand the platform's capabilities, according to the company. ### How accurate has the model been?+ Helios AI said its market predictions have carried an approximate 92% accuracy rate. The company said it underestimated how much one-off factors — including record Brazilian corn production, Chinese nitrogen export relief and Saudi rerouting through the Red Sea — would cushion food inflation from Strait of Hormuz disruptions in 2026. ### Which countries are most exposed heading into 2027?+ Helios AI estimates 130 million people across six critical countries remain exposed to hunger risk; the company did not name all six in the material reviewed. CEO Francisco Martin-Rayo said countries such as Sudan, Malawi and Zimbabwe carry less import cover than fertilizer-exporting, food-self-sufficient countries like Nigeria. Tags: [artificial intelligence](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/artificial-intelligence/), [food security](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/food-security/), [investment](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/investment/), [Middle East](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/middle-east/), [Strait of Hormuz](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/strait-of-hormuz/), [United States](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/united-states/) --- **About Fertilizer Daily:** Fertilizer Daily is the leading industrial media and discussion platform focused on covering efficient farming and plant cultivation practices on both domestic and international scales. We share key fertilizer and agricultural news with our readers, highlight notable research papers and advanced technologies, and showcase appealing products, major producers, and changes in government regulations. Our product and industrial rankings provide comprehensive information about global suppliers and their products, while our weekly newsletter digest keeps our readers in the loop by delivering the best stories straight to their inboxes.