# Yaacov Martin

> Yaacov Martin is the co-founder and CEO of Jifiti, which began as a gift registry business in 2011 and evolved into a provider of lending technology for banks, lenders and merchants. His public interviews trace that change through retail payment challenges, a long partnership with IKEA, and an emphasis on trust, shared values and adaptable infrastructure.

- **Role:** Co-Founder and CEO at Jifiti
- **Organizations:** Jifiti
- **Education:** Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.), Hebrew University of Jerusalem
- **Known for:** Co-founded Jifiti and led its evolution from gift registries into lending infrastructure., Built a company backed by Ingka Investments through a $22.5 million minority investment announced in 2021., Developed international bank and merchant relationships, including IKEA.

## Career timeline

- **Before 2011** — Founded a consumer-goods import and distribution business before Jifiti.
- **2011** — Co-founded Jifiti with Shaul Weisband and Meir Dudai, initially as a gift registry business.
- **2014** — LinkedIn lists IKEA Portland gift registry and DreamWorks DreamPlace projects.
- **2019** — IKEA financing programs using Jifiti were operating with local banking partners in four European countries.
- **2021** — Ingka Investments announced a $22.5 million minority investment in Jifiti.
- **2024** — Discussed Tabit partnership, B2B financing and digital-wallet lending in public interviews.
- **2026** — Continued as Jifiti CEO, discussing modular lending technology, AI distribution and customer loyalty.

## Achievements

- Co-founded Jifiti and led its evolution from gift registries into lending infrastructure.
- Built a company backed by Ingka Investments through a $22.5 million minority investment announced in 2021.
- Developed international bank and merchant relationships, including IKEA.

## Latest updates

- **2026-09** — Muck Rack lists his Finextra article, Banks are fighting the wrong battle for customer loyalty, dated September 15.
- **2026-06** — Paris Fintech Forum Communities published an interview with Martin on June 4.
- **2026-06** — Published a June 30 IBS Intelligence article arguing for lending availability at the point of customer need.
- **2026-04** — Discussed Jifiti’s lending platform, international expansion and AI-related priorities in a Pulse 2.0 interview.

## Links

- Website: https://www.jifiti.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yaacovmartin

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/yaacov-martin
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-15