Nigerian defence technology startup Terra Industries has raised an additional $18 million to expand its manufacturing capacity, strengthen its international operations and accelerate the deployment of autonomous security systems across the Global South. The latest funding brings the company’s seed round to $52 million.
The investment is expected to support the opening of Terra’s first international office in London and the development of a second production facility in Ghana. It will also allow the company to expand its engineering, operations and business development teams and reach a wider pool of global talent and investors.
Expanding Local Manufacturing and Global Reach
Founded in 2024 by Nathan Nwachuku and Maxwell Maduka, Terra Industries develops autonomous defence systems designed to help governments and infrastructure operators monitor and protect critical assets across land, air and maritime environments.
The company’s systems are already being used to protect power plants, mines and other nationally important infrastructure valued at approximately $11 billion across several African countries. The new funding is expected to increase Terra’s ability to serve these markets while reducing reliance on imported security technology.
Nwachuku, co-founder and CEO of Terra Industries, said the company’s approach is focused on developing systems that are suited to the environments where they are deployed. “Critical infrastructure across the Global South is best protected by systems designed for these environments and built in the regions they protect.”
The company plans to open its Pax-2 manufacturing facility in Ghana in the fourth quarter of 2026. The facility will cover 34,000 square feet, more than twice the size of Terra’s 15,000-square-foot Pax-1 facility in Abuja, Nigeria. Once fully operational, Pax-2 is expected to become the largest drone factory on the continent and reach an annual production capacity of 50,000 units across Terra’s aerial systems portfolio by 2028.
Existing investors 8VC, Silent Ventures, Nova Global, Belief Capital and SV Angel participated in the latest funding, alongside new investor Norleo Space Investments and angel investor Grant Gordon.
The London office will give Terra closer access to global defence and infrastructure institutions, as well as engineering, operations and artificial intelligence talent. While the company expands internationally, manufacturing will remain rooted in Africa, with further expansion planned across the Gulf, South America and South Asia.
Building Sovereign Security Systems
Terra’s expansion comes as African countries and other markets across the Global South face growing threats from infrastructure sabotage, illegal mining, organised crime and terrorism. Many governments and infrastructure operators continue to depend on imported security systems, which can be costly to maintain and expose users to supply chain and geopolitical risks.
Terra is positioning its technology as an alternative built around local operating conditions, data sovereignty and autonomous response. Its product portfolio includes long- and mid-range autonomous drones, interceptor drones, sentry towers and unmanned ground vehicles. These systems are connected through ArtemisOS, the company’s software platform, which supports real-time threat detection, autonomous mission planning and coordinated responses.
According to Nwachuku, the latest funding will allow Terra to increase its manufacturing base while strengthening its position in the international defence market.
“This funding lets us scale that work and deepen our manufacturing base. It also puts us in the rooms where global defense decisions are made.”
For Terra, the expansion is not only about increasing production. It is also aimed at giving governments and infrastructure operators greater control over the technology, data and systems used to protect critical national assets. The company’s long-term strategy is to build integrated air, land and maritime security capabilities designed around the scale, terrain and operational needs of Africa and other Global South markets.
