• Nigerian defence tech startup Terra Industries raises $11.75 million
• Funding led by 8VC to expand production and engineering teams
• Company deploys drones, autonomous systems across African infrastructure

Terra Industries, a Nigerian startup that manufactures drones and autonomous defence systems, said on Monday it had raised $11.75 million in a funding round led by venture capital firm 8VC, co-founded by Palantir Technologies co-founder Joe Lonsdale.

Other U.S. venture capital firms participating in the round included Valor Equity Partners, Lux Capital, SV Angel, Leblon Capital, Silent Ventures and Nova Global. Angel investor Micky Malka also participated, the company said in a statement.

Alex Moore, a defence partner at 8VC and a board member at Palantir Technologies, joined Terra Industries’ board last year.

The company said the funds would be used to expand production capacity and grow its engineering and software development teams. The capital will also support the deployment of additional autonomous defence systems in African countries.

Founded in 2024 by Nathan Nwachuku and Maxwell Maduka, Terra Industries designs and manufactures systems used to monitor and secure land, air and maritime environments. The company said its technology is deployed at power plants, mines and other infrastructure sites in several African countries.

Terra’s product range includes long- and medium-range drones, autonomous surveillance towers, unmanned ground vehicles and maritime surveillance systems. These systems operate on ArtemisOS, the company’s proprietary software platform, which enables real-time threat detection and autonomous mission planning in large or remote areas.

The company said it currently supports the security of infrastructure assets valued at about $11 billion and holds contracts worth tens of millions of dollars across public and private sector clients. Deployments include power plants in Nigeria and mining operations in Nigeria and Ghana.

Terra Industries operates a 15,000-square-foot factory in Abuja and plans to expand its engineering and business development operations to San Francisco and London.

Walid Kéfi