When working in Israel, innovation often revolves around tech startups and agile teams, but Lord International’s journey offers a different perspective: a legacy family business evolving from localized refrigeration solutions to a promising green tech company with international appeal. Their story—marked by patience, persistence, and a focus on partnerships—illustrates how market-driven adaptation can pave the way for growth in emerging markets. Now capturing the attention of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) through its Tech Emerge program, Lord International and its new co-founded venture, Greentech Cooling, are expanding the horizons of sustainable cooling solutions.
Unlocking New Markets: First Steps into Ethiopia
For their first market outside Israel, Lord International chose Ethiopia, seeing it as an ideal entry point for their cooling technology. After joining his father’s business for cooling and air conditioning systems for automotive, Liran Hikri decided to expand globally after decades of focusing solely on Israel. He identified a critical need for reliable cold-chain solutions in low and middle-income countries, where the lack of refrigeration led to significant food losses and reduced farmers' incomes. Ethiopia was a natural choice, given its geographic proximity, good ties with Israel, and pressing demand for cold-chain solutions to improve food security. In 2014, they launched a pilot with Ethiopia's largest conglomerate, MIDROC, offering retrofitted cooling for existing fleets as a cost-effective alternative to imported refrigerated trucks. Although the pilot succeeded, foreign exchange challenges, a chronic problem in Ethiopia that is being fixed these days, hindered their ability to scale in the market. Nevertheless, Lord International stayed committed, building relationships and signaling their intent to establish a long-term presence in the region.
Following years of patient opportunity exploration with Ethiopia, including maintaining close relationships with key players, in 2019, Lord International joined the Innovation Journey matchmaking program, a Ministry of Economy and Industry of Israel funded program led by JDC, in partnership with the Pears Program for Global Innovation. Through this program, they received valuable insights on the market and refined their communication and marketing strategy. They were able to understand thoroughly the challenge of cold chain transportation in low and middle-income countries, while also understanding the specificities of Ethiopia on the ground that need to be taken into account. They also acquired significant exposure, which facilitated their approach to the International Finance Corporation (IFC) of the World Bank Group.
Pivoting Towards “GreenTech” and Solar-Powered Cooling
Openness to the Innovation Journey created a pivotal opportunity for Lord International when, in late 2019, the Pears Program connected them with IFC’s Tech Emerge program. Co-established with support from Israel’s Ministry of Economy and Industry, this initiative facilitates pilot partnerships between innovative tech providers and local stakeholders in low- and middle-income countries. In 2020, with TechEmerge focusing on cold-chain management, Lord International was presented with an opportunity to showcase its solutions to a global institution.
Recognizing the relevance and adaptability of Lord’s technology, the IFC encouraged the company to explore renewable energy options for their cooling systems. This exploration not only could enhance cooling capabilities without increasing greenhouse gas emissions but also directly contributed to two Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): climate action and sustainable agriculture. Demonstrating their responsiveness to market needs, Lord International partnered with Ofer Energy, an Israeli solar energy company, to establish Greentech, a joint venture dedicated to solar-powered refrigeration solutions. Together, they developed the precise solutions the IFC sought—solar-powered refrigeration systems for temperature-controlled transportation.
As part of IFC’s Tech Emerge program, Greentech launched a pilot with Farm to Feed, a Kenyan startup focused on aggregating and selling imperfect and surplus produce from farmers at risk of food loss. The project aimed to design and implement a renewable energy-powered refrigerated truck solution for the sustainable transport of fruits and vegetables. Overcoming significant technological challenges, the team had to maximize solar panel efficiency within the limited roof space of the truck while maintaining a consistent temperature of 10-18 degrees Celsius for extended periods. In practice, Greentech developed a whole new product to respond to this challenge. Running through 2024, the proof-of-concept pilot demonstrated impressive results, reducing costs, GHG emissions, and post-harvest losses. Additionally, the increased solar cooling capacity allowed for sourcing produce from more distant locations, expanding market access for a larger number of farmers and integrating them into the supply chain.
Greentech noted in their report, “the pilot has demonstrated strong viability and can be effectively replicated in other markets. The success of this pilot, without significant operational or technical challenges, points to a strong foundation for scalability”. Their implementing partner indicated, “these advancements directly reduced quality-related rejections from customers, underscoring the solution's immediate impact”. Recognized by IFC as a standout achievement within the Tech Emerge program, the pilot reinforces Greentech's potential as an impactful market solution and opens doors for further expansion.
The successful pilot of Greentech’s solar-powered, engine-independent refrigeration for trucks has proven that efficient transport refrigeration is achievable, opening new pathways for Greentech to establish itself as a leader in the transport and refrigeration market, delivering solutions to those who need them most. Greentech is now finalizing modular cooling units adaptable to various contexts, including shipping containers, enabling flexible use for both stationary and mobile storage across industries. The IFC, in close collaboration with Greentech, is eager to see this innovation come to market and has expressed interest in potential direct investment or in facilitating connections with major industry players for further implementation. This video indicates that they are fully heading towards this direction.
Lessons Learned on the Journey
Lord International’s transformation from a family business into GreenTech, an internationally recognized player, reveals several key insights for companies seeking to enter emerging markets:
Patience and Persistence: this experience highlights the importance of a long-term approach. Rather than being discouraged by Ethiopia’s FOREX issues, the company maintained relationships and remained adaptable, finding ways to overcome obstacles as they arose.
Deep Market Learning: Through programs like Innovation Journey and TechEmerge, GreenTech gained invaluable insights into the unique demands of low and middle-income markets. These insights enabled them to tailor their messaging and build stronger relationships, emphasizing the importance of understanding market specifics.
Active Listening and Adaptability: Listening to stakeholders and adapting accordingly was key to GreenTech’s success. By prioritizing renewable energy at the IFC’s suggestion, joint venture was able to co-create a solar-powered system, showcasing a willingness to pivot in response to market demands.
Investing in Relationships: GreenTech invested in long-term partnerships rather than aiming for quick wins. Building trust with local stakeholders and maintaining connections over the years allowed them to foster a network that would support their long-term growth.
This is an important example of the time and skills often required to unlock low and middle income countries, and an inspiration for everyone investing energy and time to bring technological innovation to the right places.
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