Terra Industries, an African defense technology company, has closed an $11.75 million funding round led by 8VC, the venture capital firm founded by Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale. The round included investments from Valor Equity Partners, Lux Capital, SV Angel, Leblon Capital, Silent Ventures, Nova Global, and angel investors including Micky Malka. Alex Moore, Defense Partner at 8VC and Board Director at Palantir, joined Terra's board last year.
The company designs and manufactures autonomous defense systems that help governments and infrastructure operators monitor and respond to security threats across land, air, and maritime environments. Terra's technology is already deployed to protect power plants, mines, and other nationally important assets across multiple African countries.
Africa is experiencing significant industrial growth. The continent has the world's youngest population, controls approximately 30% of global critical mineral reserves, and invests nearly $100 billion annually in infrastructure. But much of this development is happening in remote or unstable regions where security infrastructure hasn't kept pace.
Corruption, organized crime, terrorism, and illegal resource extraction continue to threaten infrastructure projects, disrupt supply chains, and reduce investor confidence, particularly across Sub-Saharan Africa and the Sahel region. This gap between economic development and effective security is what Terra Industries is working to close.
"Africa is industrializing faster than any other region, with new mines, refineries, and power plants emerging every month. But none of that progress will matter if we don't solve the continent's greatest Achilles heel, which is insecurity and terrorism. Our mission is to give Africa the technological edge to protect its industrial future and defeat terrorism," said Nathan Nwachuku, co-founder and CEO of Terra Industries.
To tackle these challenges, Terra Industries is building what it calls Africa's first defense technology prime: a unified platform of autonomous systems designed specifically for the continent's scale, terrain, and operational realities.
The company's portfolio includes long- and mid-range drones, autonomous sentry towers, unmanned ground vehicles, and maritime surveillance systems. All of these are powered by ArtemisOS, Terra's proprietary software platform that enables real-time threat detection, autonomous mission planning, and coordinated response across difficult environments where traditional security models struggle to operate effectively.
Terra already helps secure infrastructure assets valued at approximately $11 billion across Africa, with tens of millions in contracts and a strong pipeline across public and private sectors. Current deployments include the Geometric Power Plant in Aba, two hydropower plants in northern Nigeria, and gold and lithium mining operations in Nigeria and Ghana.
The new funding will be used to expand Terra's manufacturing capacity, grow its engineering and software teams, and deploy more autonomous systems across allied African countries. While Terra's current contracts focus on infrastructure security, the company is rapidly moving into multi-national border security and counterterrorism operations as regional instability increases.
Terra operates a 15,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Abuja, Nigeria's capital, with plans to expand engineering and business development leadership in San Francisco and London. The company designs, builds, and manufactures its systems on the continent, with an engineering team composed primarily of African talent.
Founded in 2024 by 22-year-old Nathan Nwachuku and 24-year-old Maxwell Maduka, Terra Industries brings together deep technical expertise and firsthand understanding of Africa's security challenges.
Nwachuku represented Nigeria at the Physics Olympiad. At 18, he built an education technology platform that reached hundreds of thousands of users across dozens of countries before shifting his focus to industrial security. Maduka grew up in Nigerian Naval barracks, served in the Nigerian Navy as a lead UAV engineer, and at 19 founded a drone company that was later acquired by an automotive manufacturer.
Together, they've assembled a multidisciplinary team with experience from the Nigerian armed forces, global technology companies, and Western defense and intelligence organizations. The team spans software development, manufacturing, and operations.
"This is African technology, built by African engineers, for African infrastructure. We are creating skilled jobs, building advanced manufacturing capacity, and ensuring the intellectual property behind Africa's security stays on the continent," said Maxwell Maduka, co-founder and CTO of Terra Industries.
Before Terra, governments and operators across Africa often relied on foreign defense systems from China, Europe, and other regions. Terra has competed directly against these established players by offering stronger data sovereignty, tighter hardware-software integration through a single orchestration layer, faster deployment times, and reliable on-the-ground support.
This approach has helped the company win contracts against global incumbents, proving that African-built technology can compete at the highest levels while better serving the continent's specific needs and operating conditions.
"Nathan and Maxwell have assembled a brilliant team to tackle a vital problem for the continent. We are excited to support their mission," said Alex Moore, Partner at 8VC.
The backing from 8VC, founded by Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale, brings not just capital but also deep expertise in building large-scale defense and intelligence technology platforms. The participation of firms like Lux Capital, known for backing deep technology companies, and Valor Equity Partners, which has invested in companies like SpaceX and Tesla, signals strong confidence in Terra's vision.
