Yaacov Fisher - Editorial Director and Publisher
Yaacov Fisher, trained in Economics at Cambridge and Harvard universities, is a recognized expert in the field of economic and business information on and analysis of the Israel economy.
As a Senior Economist in the Research Department of the Bank of Israel until 1990, he established economic information systems that are still operative at the central bank, and was responsible for the Bank's published current economic analysis. From 1990 to 1995, he served as Managing Director of Praedicta Ltd., Israel's first provider of computerized economic information systems. From 1995 to 2000, he was an independent consultant in the areas of supply, analysis and presentation of Israeli economic and business information, and acted as a consultant to several government ministries.
In 2000, he founded his company I-Biz – Israel Business Information Services Ltd (www.i-biz.co.il). Today, I-Biz is a leading supplier of information and analysis on the Israeli economy, both at the macro-, industry/sector and regional levels: numbered among I-Biz clients are many important economic, business and financial entities both in Israel and around the world.
In 2006, I-Biz was appointed as the Israeli correspondent to the European Union Trendchart project on innovation policy, and in 2007 – as Israel's consultant to the EU Medibtikar project on establishing innovation-based industrial partnerships between Mediterranean basin countries.
Michael Eilan - Senior Consultant
Michael Eilan has been a senior consultant at I-Biz since 2005, specializing in innovation policy, innovation economics and venture capital.
A former Internet entrepreneur, Eilan was co-founder of DataSphere, the company that created Koldoon, at the time of the world's largest databases of start-ups and venture capital. His interest in innovation both inside the firm and on a national and international level is matched by hands on experience both as an entrepreneur and as a consultant to firms and organizations that seek to stimulate R&D and the creation of start-ups.
Previously, he was editor of Link, a pioneering Israeli business magazine that focused on technology based companies acting in the global market, a columnist on venture capital at Globes and a senior journalist at The Jerusalem Post.
