Freestyle PLC was founded in 1996 and had its headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Before turning to cars, it had spent years in the solar and wind energy business. Carlo Pironti, an Italian electrical engineer, served as general manager, and the venture drew backing mainly from Chinese investors alongside Pironti and other Italian partners, with an initial investment of about $600,000. The company used the Solaris brand name under license…