| Amir Gal-Or אמיר גלאור |
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|---|---|
Amir Gal-Or, 2006 |
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| Born | September 5, 1962 Israel |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur, Venture Capitalist based in China |
Amir Gal-Or (born 1962) is an Israeli businessman. He is head of the Infinity Group and Infinity I-China. [1][2][3][4] Gal-Or served as a pilot in the Israeli Air Force.[5]
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Amir Gal-or was born on on September 5, 1962 in Haifa, Israel. His parents, Leah and Benjamin, are professors at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. Gal-Or’s mother specializes in chemistry and materials; his father specializes in machinery.[5] Gal-Or attended the Hebrew Reali School in Haifa, where he graduated from the Science-Physics Department.[5] Gal-Or served as a combat pilot in the Israeli Air Force (IDF/AF) for 24 years, flying the F-4 Phantom, F-16 and A-4 Skyhawk.[5] Gal-Or was also a member of the IDF/AF aerobatic team. On October 16, 1986, Gal-Or flew in the same formation with Israeli MIA navigator/weapon systems officer (WSO) Ron Arad, who went missing that day.[5] Amir Gal-Or is retired from active reserve duty and now serves as an instructor in the military flying school. Gal-Or has four children.[5]
Gal-Or’s career as a private entrepreneur began at the Technion incubator in 1990 when he completed his required seven years of full time army service.[6] He returned home to Haifa, registered at the University of Haifa and, together with his mother,[7] established two materials companies: TAN, developing high grade refrectory ceramic oxides, and a venture with the largest Israeli fuels company: Paz Oil Company. Eventually, the latter venture integrated with Paz in exchange for royalties, and TAN was sold.[5]
Gal-Or earned a BSc in economics and business management from the University of Haifa and an MBA from Tel Aviv University. Later he graduated from Harvard University’s program in venture capital and private equity investments.[5]
In 1994, Gal-Or was nominated as a manager of Mati Ra'anana - business development center in the town of Ra'anana. Mati Ra'anana is a public organization (NPO) jointly established by the JDC, the Ministry of Absorption, the Israel Small and Medium Enterprise Authority (ISMEA), ESRA organization, and the Ra'anana Municipality. Mati Ra'anana provides professional consulting services, business plan formulation, professional business training, on-going consulting and mentoring, and assistance in obtaining the necessary funding to realize the goals set in the business plan assistance to small and medium sized businesses, and technological StartUps. Gal-Or founded a special forum for StartUp ventures within Mati Ra'anana.
In 1998 Gal-Or switched over to venture capital,[5] and joined Infinity.[7] In 2002 the Office of the Chief Scientist (OCS) of Israel began a program to privatize the technology incubators. Under the umbrella of Infinity, Gal-Or founded Maayan Ventures, a publicly traded company, where he serves as chairman. Maayan,headquartered in the southern Israeli town of Beer Sheva, is a working partner of the Israeli government for seed investments and manages more than 60 investment holdings. Infinity also has control of the technology incubators in Dimona and Sde Boker and is in the process of purchasing a share of one in Ofakim, also in the south of Israel. Each incubator has a specialization; Infinity provides the incubators with services and support.[6]
Mr. Gal-Or is a member of the World Economic Forum and has been invited to speak at equity capital forums and conferences pertaining to business in China.[8]
The Infinity Group is backed by Israel’s IDB Holding Corp (IDBH. TA) and China Development Bank.[9] Infinity Group manages more than $700 million[10] through nine funds, seven of which are in China[10] and a portfolio of 45 companies.[11] Infinity is headquartered in Tel Aviv with offices in Beijing, Suzhou, Harbin, Shijiazhuang, Changzhou, Ningbo and Tianjin,[10] Shanghai, Hong Kong, and New York.[3] Since 1993, Infinity has made more than 100 investments.[12] Infinity’s funds since 1993 have included the $23 million Nitzanim Fund of 1993, the $90 million Infinity I in 1999, the $64 million Infinity II in 2002, and the $75 million Infinity IDB in 2002.[12]
In 2004, the firm partnered with China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park Ventures Company Ltd., or CSVC, to establish a $15 million Infinity-CSVC fund.[12] In 2006, the firm established the $300 million Infinity I-China fund,[10] the successor to the Infinity-CSVC fund and its second Israel-China fund.[12][13]
The Infinity-CSVC China Fund was founded in 2004. It received the first license issued to a foreign-managed onshore RMB denominated fund.[4][14][15] The number on the certificate reads 00001.[1]
In March 2010, Infinity I-China launched six new joint venture private equity funds throughout China in the cities of Beijing, Suzhou, Harbin, Shijiazhuang, Changzhou, Ningbo and Tianjin. The funds will range from 200 million renminbi up to a planned 500 million renminbi. The funds will invest in high-technology companies in life sciences, information technology and clean energy and technology. [10] [16] [17] [18][19]
In 2010, Infinity established 10 joint venture funds with 10 city governments in China.[20][21][22][23] The funds range in size from 200 million RMB to 500 million RMB. The funds support local Chinese businesses through the influx of technology and knowledge, mainly from Israel, though also from the US and Europe.[21][22][23][24]
In September 2010, Infinity Group established the Infinity IP (intellectual property) Bank. The IP Bank is headquartered in Suzhou, China.[20][24] The IP Bank acquires intellectual property from Israel, and from other countries, for use by Chinese companies.[20] The IP Bank also supports those Chinese companies with financing and management services.[24]