A2Z Cust2Mate Founder Steps Down, Igniting Search for Global Scale-Up Leader

TORONTO, ON – January 02, 2026 – Smart retail technology firm A2Z Cust2Mate Solutions Corp. (NASDAQ: AZ) has initiated a significant leadership transition, announcing that founder Bentsur Joseph has stepped down as Director and Chairman of the Board. The move, effective December 31, 2025, marks a pivotal moment for the company as it shifts from its foundational phase to an aggressive global expansion strategy.

In a move to ensure leadership continuity, the company's board has appointed current Chief Executive Officer, Gadi Graus, as Interim Chairman. This dual role positions Graus to steer the company while a formal search is conducted for a new, permanent chairperson. The company has been explicit in its goal: to recruit a highly experienced leader with a proven track record in scaling large, global corporations, signaling a clear intent to accelerate its growth trajectory and international market penetration.

The announcement was met with a modest but positive market reaction, with the company's stock seeing a 4.92% gain on the day. However, this leadership shuffle comes at a critical juncture, as the company balances ambitious growth targets and a strong commercial pipeline against the financial realities of its current unprofitability and a recent decline in its stock value over the past six months.

From Vision to Velocity: A Founder's Strategic Handover

Bentsur Joseph's departure is being framed not as a departure from his vision, but as the fulfillment of it. He is widely credited as the visionary who built A2Z Cust2Mate "from an idea into a strong, growing organization with a leading product, marquis customers, and a clear global opportunity." His exit is portrayed as a strategic handover, timed for when the company is primed for its next evolutionary leap.

"I am extremely proud of what we have accomplished at A2Z Cust2Mate," said Joseph in the official announcement. "I firmly believe A2Z Cust2Mate has the potential to reach a multi-billion-dollar valuation. At this stage, the Company is ready for a chairperson with deep experience in scaling and leading large global businesses, someone who can help take it to the next level, expand internationally, penetrate new markets, and accelerate growth."

This sentiment underscores a common, albeit difficult, transition point for founder-led companies: the moment when the skills required for hyper-growth and complex global operations may differ from those that nurtured the company through its infancy. Gadi Graus, now holding the dual mantle of CEO and Interim Chairman, paid tribute to Joseph's foundational role.

"I would like to sincerely thank Bentsur for his vision, leadership, and enormous contribution to A2Z Cust2Mate," Graus stated. "Bentsur is the visionary who founded the Company and successfully turned his vision into a strong and growing reality... We remain focused on executing our strategy and building on the solid foundation he helped establish."

Growth Ambitions Meet Financial Realities

Under Graus's leadership, A2Z Cust2Mate has been laying the groundwork for the very expansion Joseph envisions. The company has recently expanded its global sales team, appointing dedicated heads of sales for the Americas and Europe to drive regional market penetration. This strategy appears to be bearing fruit, with the company reporting a commercialization pipeline with purchase orders exceeding $110 million.

Recent high-profile agreements highlight this momentum. The company secured a new five-year, $30 million contract with Israeli supermarket chain Super Sapir for 3,000 smart carts and an expanded partnership with Migros, Turkey's leading supermarket chain, for deployments beginning in the third quarter of 2026. These deals follow previously announced agreements with retailers like Yochananof and a new pilot with a premium grocery retailer in Central America, demonstrating growing market traction for its AI-powered shopping cart platform.

Despite this strong commercial activity and forecasts for substantial annual revenue growth (152.8%) and earnings growth (89.7%), the company's financial profile presents a more complex picture. A2Z Cust2Mate currently operates with negative operating margins (-282.23%) and is projected to remain unprofitable for the next three years. While possessing strong liquidity with a current ratio of 8.57, its stock has declined approximately 34% over the six months prior to the announcement. Analyst consensus remains bullish, with an average price target of $20.00, suggesting significant potential upside from its early January 2026 trading price of around $6.83, but the path to profitability remains a key challenge the new leadership will need to address.

The Race to Define In-Store Digital Infrastructure

A2Z Cust2Mate is positioning itself to become the "digital infrastructure powering in-store shopping experiences." Its flagship smart carts are more than just a convenience; they are a sophisticated platform integrating AI, data analytics, and retail media capabilities. The carts enable shoppers to scan items and pay directly in the cart, bypassing checkout lines, while receiving personalized promotions in real-time. For retailers, the technology promises a wealth of data-driven insights to optimize operations, merchandising, and customer loyalty.

This technology enters a market where retailers are increasingly searching for alternatives to traditional self-checkout systems, which have faced criticism for inefficiency and security issues. A2Z Cust2Mate competes in this evolving space against other retail tech innovators like Caper (acquired by Instacart), Standard Cognition, and Tracxpoint. To meet the anticipated demand, the company has established a scalable manufacturing model, outsourcing production to Tier 1 contract manufacturers like Flex to ensure economies of scale and quality control.

The search for a new chairman is therefore a search for a catalyst. The ideal candidate will not only bring global operational expertise but will also possess the strategic acumen to navigate this competitive landscape, leverage the company's technological edge, and translate its impressive order book into sustainable, profitable growth. As the company actively engages with investors and showcases its technology at major industry events like NRF 2026, the entire retail tech industry will be watching to see who takes the helm to steer A2Z Cust2Mate into its next chapter.