Terra Industries, an Abuja-based defense tech startup, has extended its funding round by $22 million, bringing its total capital raise to $34 million.
Led by Lux Capital, the fast-tracked round signals a shift toward “sovereign security” in Africa—using autonomous systems rather than human-heavy patrols to protect the continent’s industrial backbone.
The Details
The funding round came together in less than two weeks, highlighting high investor conviction.
- The Leadership: Founded in 2024 by Gen Z entrepreneurs Nathan Nwachuku (22) and Maxwell Maduka (24).
- The Tech Stack: A suite of autonomous drones, sentry towers, and ground vehicles all running on ArtemisOS, a proprietary software for real-time threat detection.
- The Footprint: Terra already protects assets valued at $11 billion, operating out of a 15,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Abuja.
What They’re Saying
“Africa is industrializing faster than any other region… But none of that progress will matter if we don’t solve the continent’s greatest Achilles’ heel, which is insecurity and terrorism.” — Nathan Nwachuku, Co-founder and CEO.
By The Numbers
| Metric | Value |
| New Funding | $22 Million |
| Total Round | $34 Million |
| Asset Value Protected | ~$11 Billion |
| Founders’ Average Age | 23 |
| Investors | Lux Capital, 8VC, Jared Leto, Olugbenga Agboola |
Why It Matters
As Africa industrializes, it faces a paradox: it holds 30% of global critical mineral reserves and spends $100B annually on infrastructure, yet sabotage and terrorism in remote regions threaten to undo those gains.
- The Problem: Most defense tech in Africa is imported, expensive to maintain, and often ill-suited for local terrain.
- The Solution: Terra is building a “defense prime” (a vertically integrated manufacturer) on African soil, ensuring that the hardware and the data remain under local control.
What’s Next
Terra plans to use the fresh capital to:
- Scale Manufacturing: Expand its Abuja facility to meet rising demand.
- Regional Expansion: Accelerate deployments beyond Nigeria into allied African nations.
- Talent Grab: Grow engineering and software teams across its hubs in Abuja, London, and San Francisco.
Learn more about other African tech startups on Labari Insights, our data repository for tech in Africa: insights.techlabari.com
