"Could not find installation information for this machine" after disk erase
Solution 1:
I resolved this issue by changing the Wi-Fi network I was connected to. I was on xfinitywifi which was requiring a registration I didn't see. As soon as I connected to my internal company Wi-Fi network without a click-through screen it worked.
Other avenues to resolve this are making a bootable installer, booting from recovery or otherwise connecting to a new network if that’s causing the issue (Ethernet instead of WiFi for instance)
Solution 2:
If you are installing mac os on a fresh Hard Drive then rather pressing cmd+R on startup, you need to press and hold only alt/opt key on system startup.
Solution 3:
Another method for those that might not have access to another Mac: I created a Hotspot without any security on my phone and connected the Mac to it for the activation part. Worked like a charm for me.