Terra Industries, Africa’s first defense prime focused on autonomous security systems, has officially emerged from stealth to raise $11.7 million in a funding round led by 8VC, the venture firm founded by Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale.
The round also saw participation from Valor Equity Partners, Lux Capital, SV Angel, Silent Ventures, Leblon Capital, and angel investors including Micky Malka.
The company, which builds autonomous defense systems to protect Africa’s critical infrastructure such as mines, refineries, power plants, and pipelines announced the milestone in a LinkedIn post.
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According to Terra, the new funding will accelerate its mission to give Africa a technological edge in resource protection and counterterrorism.
It wrote,
“Our renewed mission is to give Africa the technological edge needed for resource protection and counterterrorism,” the company stated. “Today, we’re building Africa’s first defense prime with $11 billion in assets under protection. Over the next few months, we will ramp up defense production across Africa and scale our surveillance software.”
Co-founder and CEO Nathan Nwachuku said Terra is positioning itself to meet the growing security demands across the energy, mining, and national infrastructure sectors. Meanwhile, co-founder and CTO Maxwell Maduka emphasized the company’s commitment to building African-owned and African-built technology.
“This is African technology, built by African engineers, for African infrastructure,” Maduka said. “We are creating skilled jobs, building advanced manufacturing capacity, and ensuring the intellectual property behind Africa’s security stays on the continent.”
Founded in 2024, Terra was launched to fill a critical gap in global defense innovation. While companies like Anduril and Helsing focus on Western defense needs, Terra aims to build comparable capabilities tailored specifically to Africa’s unique security challenges.
The company estimates that Africa loses over $300 billion annually due to infrastructure damage and security threats across air, land, and sea. At the core of Terra’s ecosystem is ArtemisOS, an AI-powered open operating system that brings real-time data intelligence and autonomy to infrastructure security.
Artemis Cloud enables real-time storage and analysis of surveillance data, while Artemis Autonomy provides advanced command-and-control capabilities.
Terra’s growing portfolio of autonomous systems includes:
• Archer VTOL: A long-range vertical takeoff and landing surveillance drone designed for monitoring critical assets such as mines and oil pipelines.
• Iroko UAV: A modular, mass-producible quadcopter built for first-response missions and data collection.
• Duma UGV: A flexible autonomous ground vehicle designed for surveillance and cargo operations.
• Kallon Sentry Tower: A solar-powered autonomous security tower capable of detecting and tracking threats up to 3km away, aimed at protecting borders, military bases, and energy infrastructure.
In January 2026, the defense tech startup commissioned its Africa’s largest drone manufacturing facility in Abuja, Nigeria, a major step toward building a domestic industrial base for advanced autonomous systems. The facility was designed, constructed, and brought online in just 11 months, underscoring Terra’s rapid execution capability.
The factory currently supports the production of up to 20 Iroko drones per day, with approximately 80% of components sourced and manufactured locally. This move aligns with Terra’s broader goal of developing local talent, strengthening supply chains, and reducing reliance on foreign manufacturing.
Outlook
With fresh capital, a rapidly expanding product line, and a growing manufacturing footprint, Terra Industries is positioning itself as a foundational player in Africa’s defense and security ecosystem. As infrastructure investments across the continent increase, so will the need for intelligent, scalable, and autonomous security solutions.
In a world where geopolitical and infrastructure risks are rising, Terra’s bet is clear, Africa should not depend on imported solutions for its security, it should build its own.