After five years working in the education technology sector, 22-year-old entrepreneur Nathan Nwachuku came to a stark conclusion: Africa is approaching a pivotal moment. The continent is industrialising rapidly, capital is flowing, and a young, ambitious population is ready to seize new opportunities. At the same time, security threats such as terrorism and instability remain persistent challenges.
Out of this tension, Terra Industries was born.
Nwachuku teamed up with his longtime friend Maxwell Meduka, 24, to found Terra Industries, a Nigeria-based defense technology company focused on building autonomous systems for infrastructure protection, surveillance, and threat response. The company has now emerged from stealth mode, announcing a $11.75 million funding round led by Joe Lonsdale of 8VC.
Other participants in the round include Valor Equity Partners, Lux Capital, SV Angel, and Nova Global. Terra previously raised an $800,000 pre-seed round, with Nwachuku noting that investor interest accelerated following the founders’ appearance on CNN. African investors backing the company include Tofino Capital, Kaleo Ventures, and DFS Lab.
“The goal is to build the first truly pan-African defense company,” Nwachuku said.
Terra is headquartered in Abuja and takes a multi-domain approach to security. In the air, the company develops long- and mid-range drones. On land, it builds surveillance towers and ground-based robotic systems. In the maritime domain, Terra is working on technologies to protect offshore platforms, ports, and underwater pipelines.
At the core of its platform is ArtemisOS, Terra’s proprietary software system. ArtemisOS aggregates and analyzes data in real time from multiple sensors and autonomous systems. When a potential threat is identified, the platform alerts response teams to enable rapid interception.
“We want to cover Africa’s critical infrastructure and resources through geofencing,” Nwachuku said.
The company’s team includes significant military and defense experience. Around 40 percent of Terra’s engineers previously held similar roles within the Nigerian Army. Meduka served as an engineer in the Nigerian Navy and founded a drone company at the age of 19. Vice Admiral Ayo Jolasinmi of Nigeria serves as an adviser, while Alex Moore of 8VC, who specializes in defense investments, sits on Terra’s board.
Terra recently secured its first federal government contract, although details were not disclosed. The company generates revenue from both government and commercial clients, with commercial revenues exceeding $2.5 million to date. According to the company, assets currently under protection through its systems are valued at approximately $11 billion. While most clients are based in Nigeria, Terra is already operating in other African countries.
The newly raised capital will be used to expand Terra’s manufacturing footprint across Africa, improve its software platform, and grow its artificial intelligence engineering team. The company plans to open offices in San Francisco and London to attract international partnerships and investment, while keeping production and manufacturing on the African continent to support job creation.
“Africa is currently in an epic battle for its own survival,” Nwachuku said.
In the long term, Terra aims to strengthen Africa’s defense and security autonomy by manufacturing advanced systems locally and developing AI-driven technologies tailored to the continent’s needs. The founders believe this approach can improve regional security, create high-skilled jobs, and position Africa as a serious player in the global defense technology landscape.
