Terra Industries, a Nigerian defense-tech startup has raised an additional $18 million, bringing its seed financing to $52 million, in a move that will see it open a London office and scale Ghana factory toward 50,000 systems a year.
The latest funding includes existing investors 8VC, Silent Ventures, Nova Global, Belief Capital and SV Angel, alongside new investor Norleo Space Investments and angel investor Grant Gordon.
Founded in 2024 by Nathan Nwachuku and Maxwell Maduka, Terra develops autonomous security systems for governments and operators of critical infrastructure, spanning aerial, ground and maritime environments.
The company plans to use the new capital to open its first international office in London, increase manufacturing capacity, accelerate deployments across the Global South and expand its engineering, operations and business-development teams.
Terra has not disclosed a valuation for the latest financing. Earlier this year, the company said its valuation had reached the nine-figure range following a $22 million extension led by Lux Capital.
Ghana Factory Targets 50,000 Systems
A major part of Terra’s expansion is its manufacturing operation in Ghana.
The company’s Pax-2 facility, a 34,000-square-foot factory, is expected to open in the fourth quarter of 2026. Terra says the facility will eventually produce up to 50,000 aerial systems annually by 2028, making it the largest drone manufacturing facility on the continent by planned capacity.
Pax-2 will complement Terra’s 15,000-square-foot Pax-1 facility in Abuja, Nigeria, giving the company a manufacturing footprint spanning two African markets.
The strategy is unusual for a young African technology company: Terra intends to keep its manufacturing base in Africa while establishing commercial and strategic operations in major international defense and technology centers.
The London office is intended to give Terra access to global defense and infrastructure institutions, as well as AI and operations talent. The company is also targeting expansion into the Gulf, South America and South Asia.
Building an African Defense Prime
Terra is positioning itself as more than a drone manufacturer. Its portfolio includes long- and mid-range autonomous drones, interceptor drones, AI-enabled sentry towers and unmanned ground vehicles, connected through ArtemisOS, its proprietary software platform.
The system is designed to combine real-time threat detection, autonomous mission planning and coordinated responses across large and difficult environments.
Terra says its technology is already being used to protect power plants, mines and other critical infrastructure assets valued at about $11 billion across several African countries.
The company is targeting sectors including energy, mining, urban infrastructure, maritime assets, border security and counterterrorism.
From Imported Systems to Local Manufacturing
Terra’s expansion comes as African governments and infrastructure operators confront growing threats from terrorism, organized crime, illegal mining and attacks on critical infrastructure.
The company argues that many existing security systems are imported and were designed for operating environments different from those found across Africa and other emerging markets. The resulting dependence can create higher maintenance costs, supply-chain vulnerabilities and concerns over control of software and data.
“Critical infrastructure across the Global South is best protected by systems designed for these environments and built in the regions they protect,” Nwachuku said. “This funding lets us scale that work and deepen our manufacturing base.”
The company’s approach is therefore built around autonomy, local manufacturing and data sovereignty, with the aim of giving governments and infrastructure operators greater control over how critical assets are monitored and protected.
Terra’s rapid fundraising also reflects the growing investor appetite for defense technology beyond the traditional US and European markets. The company raised $11.8 million in its initial seed round before adding $22 million in February, taking the round to $34 million. The latest $18 million brings the total to $52 million.
With the Ghana factory, London expansion and plans for additional markets, Terra is now moving from an African defense startup toward a broader ambition: building a vertically integrated defense technology company serving the Global South.