Terra Industries raises $11.75M to build African defense systems

Terra Industries, a defense company based in Nigeria, announced on Monday that it has emerged from stealth after securing $11.75 million in a funding round led by venture capital firm 8VC. Co-founded by CEO Nathan Nwachuku, 22, and CTO Maxwell Maduka, 24, the startup aims to build Africa’s first defense prime—a primary contractor for defense systems. The founders position the company as the first truly Pan-African defense company, designed to protect critical infrastructure and resources from armed attacks.

The company utilizes its proprietary software, ArtemisOS, alongside hardware such as drones and surveillance towers to monitor and respond to threats. According to Nwachuku, Terra Industries has already generated more than $2.5 million in commercial revenue and is protecting assets valued at around $11 billion. Its current commercial operations focus primarily on Nigeria, where it secures private infrastructure including hydro power plants and mines.

The startup’s technical team is deeply anchored in regional military experience. Forty percent of its engineers have Nigerian military experience, and Maduka himself served as an engineer in the Nigerian Navy, having previously founded a drone company at age 19. The company’s board includes 8VC board member Alex Moore, with Nigeria’s Vice Air Marshal Ayo Jolasinmi serving as an advisor.

The $11.75 million round, which follows a previous $800,000 pre-seed round, features a diverse group of backers:

• Lead Investor: 8VC
• Other Participants: Valor Equity Partners, Lux Capital, SV Angel, and Nova Global
• African Participants: Tofino Capital, Kaleo Ventures, and DFS Lab

Terra Industries plans to use the fresh capital to expand its software capabilities, grow its artificial intelligence team, and build additional defense factories across Africa. While the company plans to open software offices in San Francisco and London, it intends to keep all manufacturing operations in Africa to support local job creation.

Ultimately, the company aims to establish sovereign intelligence—intelligence capabilities controlled by a nation or region rather than foreign powers—to reduce Africa’s reliance on Western, Chinese, and Russian intelligence. Nwachuku noted that the continent is undergoing an epic struggle for survival against terrorism and insecurity. “We want to take the defense of our continent’s resources and infrastructure into Africa’s own hands,” Nwachuku said.

Why it matters

By attempting to establish Africa’s first defense prime, Terra Industries is seeking to replace reliance on foreign intelligence with sovereign, autonomous systems. If successful, this model could shift how African nations secure their critical infrastructure against regional security threats.