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Nigerian defense technology startup Terra Industries co-founded by tech entrepreneurs Nathan Nwachuku and Maxwell Maduka has raised $11.75 million as it steps out of stealth, positioning itself to build what it describes as Africa’s first homegrown defense technology prime focused on autonomous security systems for critical infrastructure.
The funding round was led by U.S. venture firm 8VC, founded by Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale, with participation from Valor Equity Partners, Lux Capital, SV Angel, Leblon Capital, Silent Ventures, Nova Global, and angel investors including Micky Malka. Alex Moore, a defense partner at 8VC and a board director at Palantir, joined Terra Industries’ board last year.
Terra raises $11.75 million for security
Alex Moore said the company is addressing a problem that has long constrained investment and industrial growth across the continent. “Nathan and Maxwell have assembled a strong team to take on one of Africa’s most pressing challenges,” he said. “We’re excited to support their work.
Terra Industries said the $11.75 million will be used to expand manufacturing capacity, add engineering and software talent, and scale deployments of its autonomous systems across allied African countries.
Nathan Nwachuku, co-founder and CEO of Terra, said Africa’s rapid build-out of mines, power plants, and industrial facilities has outpaced security capacity in many regions. “Africa is industrializing faster than any other region,” he said. “But that progress is fragile if infrastructure remains exposed to insecurity and terrorism. Our focus is making sure Africa can protect what it is building.”
Maxwell Maduka who is the CTO said the company’s work is also about ownership and capability. “This is African technology, built by African engineers, for African infrastructure,” he said. “We’re creating skilled jobs, expanding advanced manufacturing, and keeping critical security know-how on the continent.”
Securing Africa’s infrastructure and minerals
Africa holds about 30 percent of the world’s critical mineral reserves and invests close to $100 billion a year in infrastructure. Much of that investment is concentrated in remote or high-risk areas, particularly across Sub-Saharan Africa and the Sahel, where organized crime, illegal mining, and militant activity continue to disrupt operations and deter capital.
Terra Industries aims to close that gap by offering a vertically integrated security platform designed for African operating conditions. Its systems include long- and mid-range drones, autonomous sentry towers, unmanned ground vehicles, and maritime surveillance tools, all connected through ArtemisOS, the company’s proprietary software. The platform allows real-time threat detection, automated mission planning, and coordinated responses across large and difficult terrains.
The company said its systems already help secure infrastructure assets valued at about $11 billion, with tens of millions of dollars in active contracts and a growing pipeline across both 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. Terra said it is also expanding into cross-border security and counterterrorism as regional risks intensify.
Young founders scale African defense technology
Founded in 2024, Terra Industries was started by Nathan Nwachuku, 22, and Maxwell Maduka, 24. The company designs and manufactures autonomous defense systems used across land, air, and maritime environments. Its technology is already deployed at power plants, mines, and other nationally critical sites in multiple African countries.
Nwachuku previously represented Nigeria at the Physics Olympiad and built an education technology platform at 18 that reached hundreds of thousands of users globally. Maduka grew up in Nigerian naval barracks, served as a lead UAV engineer in the Nigerian Navy, and founded a drone company at 19 that was later acquired by an automotive manufacturer.
Terra operates a 15,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Abuja, with plans to expand engineering leadership and business development teams in San Francisco and London. The company says its engineering workforce is primarily African, with additional experience drawn from global technology firms and Western defense and intelligence organizations.
