Young African founders secure $11.75M to build continent’s first autonomous defense company

Two Nigerian entrepreneurs, Nathan Nwachuku (22) and Maxwell Maduka (24), have launched Terra Industries, a defense technology startup based in Abuja that aims to strengthen Africa’s self-sufficiency in national security. After building an edtech company, Nwachuku saw that despite Africa’s rapid industrialization and youthful talent, persistent insecurity and terrorism remained major obstacles to development. Terra Industries focuses on building autonomous defense systems to protect critical infrastructure across the continent from air, land, and sea. Its products include surveillance towers, ground drones, and both short- and long-range aerial drones, with maritime technologies under development for offshore and underwater security. The company’s proprietary software, ArtemisOS, processes data in real time to detect and flag threats, enabling faster responses from security agencies. Terra’s mission is to establish “Africa’s first defense prime,” reducing dependency on foreign powers for intelligence and defense technologies. The company recently emerged from stealth mode after raising $11.75 million in a funding round led by 8VC, joined by Valor Equity Partners, Lux Capital, SV Angel, and others, including African investors such as Tofino Capital and Kaleo Ventures. Terra has already earned more than $2.5 million in commercial revenue and is currently safeguarding assets valued at around $11 billion, including hydro plants and gold mines in Nigeria. With the new funding, Terra plans to expand manufacturing across Africa, open AI and software offices in San Francisco and London, and boost job creation within the continent’s defense technology sector.