African defense tech startup Terra Industries raises $52M

It turns out that it’s not only U.S. and European companies pushing the concept of autonomous warfare. Nigeria-based Terra Industries is a defense technology startup that develops automated security systems for governments and infrastructure operators, and it has just raised $52 million.

Announced today, the raise is reportedly the largest-ever seed funding round by an African startup. It saw the participation of Norleo Space Investments and angel investor Grant Gordon, as well as existing investors 8VC, Silent Ventures, Nova Global, Belief Capital and SV Angel.

Terra Industries was founded in 2024 by Nathan Nwachuku and Maxwell Maduka. Its autonomous defense systems include long- and mid-range drones, as well as interceptor drones, sentry towers and unmanned ground vehicles. They’re designed to help governments and other customers to monitor critical infrastructure assets such as mines and power plants, and they can operate in land, air and maritime environments.

These vehicles are all connected through Terra Industries’ ArtemisOS software, which is what makes them intelligent. It provides real-time threat detection and autonomous mission-planning capabilities and helps to coordinate a response to security incidents, according to the company’s website. Although it’s barely two years old, its systems have already been deployed in several African countries, where they help to secure critical infrastructure valued at more than $11 billion.

Unlike rival next-generation defense technology firms like Helsing SE and Anduril Industrial Inc., Chief Executive Nwachuku says, Terra’s autonomous systems are designed to aid customers in the “Global South,” which is a term used to describe developing and less-developed countries in Africa, Latin America and elsewhere. “Critical infrastructure across the Global South is best protected by systems designed for these environments and built in the regions they protect,” he insisted. “This funding lets us scale that work and deepen our manufacturing base. It also puts us in the rooms where global defense decisions are made.”

The startup builds its defense systems in the markets it targets. It currently has two manufacturing facilities, including a 15,000-square-foot Pax-1 factory in Abuja, Nigeria, and a larger, 34,000-square-foot facility called Pax-2, in Ghana. The second facility is not yet fully operational, but when it is, it will become the largest drone factory in all of Africa. It’s expected to come online by the end of the year, and will be able to produce around 50,000 units across its systems portfolio.

Despite the focus on the Global South, Terra isn’t ignoring the West entirely. With the funds from today’s round, it intends to open up a new office in London that will provide it with better access to the institutions that shape the world’s defense and infrastructure markets. It also hopes to secure better operations and artificial intelligence talent, while maintaining its manufacturing base in Africa.

In addition, Terra’s longer term ambitions are to expand its manufacturing footprint into the Middle East, South America and South Asia, it said. It will also grow its engineering and business development teams.

The startup has had a busy year so far. Before today’s round, it raised $11.75 million in January, which was the largest funding round by an African defense technology firm, before breaking that record one month later when it raised $22 million in a follow-on round. It has also signed a memorandum of understanding with the Defence Industries Corp. of Nigeria to establish a joint venture that will focus on domestic production of defense systems.

Photo: Terra Industries