Terra Industries, a Nigerian defense technology startup, has raised $11.75 million in a funding round led by Silicon Valley venture firm 8VC to scale autonomous systems and software that help African governments and businesses protect critical infrastructure.
The round attracted participation from Valor Equity Partners, Lux Capital, SV Angel, Nova Global, and African investors including Tofino Capital, Kaleo Ventures, and DFS Lab. The startup previously raised $800,000 in a pre-seed round and gained global attention after a CNN feature.
Founded by Nathan Nwachuku, 22, and Maxwell Maduka, 24, Terra Industries develops multi-domain defense systems for air, land, and future maritime applications. Its products include long- and short-range surveillance drones, ground drones, fixed monitoring towers, and a proprietary software platform, ArtemisOS, which aggregates data from deployed systems in real time to detect threats and alert response teams.
Nwachuku emphasized that Africa’s major barrier to sustained growth is insecurity, which threatens industrialization and economic progress. Terra aims to build Africa’s first defense prime and reduce reliance on foreign intelligence by creating locally owned defense infrastructure.
Approximately 40% of Terra’s engineering team have military backgrounds, including Maduka, a former Nigerian Navy engineer who founded a drone company at 19. The startup has already generated over $2.5 million in revenue and is safeguarding assets valued at around $11 billion, including hydropower plants, mines, and energy infrastructure.
With the new funding, Terra plans to expand manufacturing across Africa, open software offices in San Francisco and London, and grow its AI and software teams while keeping production on the continent to support local jobs.
“We are the first truly Pan-African defense company. To unlock Africa’s potential, the continent’s critical infrastructure must be fully protected,” Nwachuku said.
Terra Industries’ success reflects a growing focus on homegrown solutions to Africa’s security challenges and the role of indigenous defense technology in supporting industrial growth.
