Terra Industries raises $52M seed round to build defense tech for Global South

Aug 17, 2026

African defense technology startup Terra Industries closes a $52 million seed round after raising an additional $18 million. Founded in 2024 by Nathan Nwachuku and Maxwell Maduka, the company develops autonomous drones, sentry towers, and ground vehicles coordinated by its ArtemisOS software. Terra Industries aims to secure Global South defense sovereignty, expanding its manufacturing footprint in Nigeria and Ghana while opening a London office to access global defense institutions.

Terra Industries $52M seed round

▪On August 17, 2026, African defense technology company Terra Industries announced an additional $18 million in funding, bringing its total seed round to $52 million.
▪Prior to closing the $52 million seed round, Terra Industries raised an $11.75 million tranche in January 2026 and a $22 million tranche in February 2026.
▪Terra Industries expects to secure $100 million in contract bookings and generate tens of millions of dollars in revenue by the end of 2026.
▪Investors in Terra Industries' seed round include Joe Lonsdale's 8VC, Silent Ventures, and Nova Global.

Autonomous defense systems portfolio

▪Terra Industries' hardware products are connected and coordinated through ArtemisOS, the company's proprietary software that provides real-time threat detection and autonomous mission-planning.
▪Terra Industries develops automated security systems and autonomous hardware, including long- and mid-range drones, interceptor drones, sentry towers, and unmanned ground vehicles.
▪Terra Industries' autonomous defense systems have been deployed in several African countries to secure critical infrastructure assets, such as power plants and mines, valued at over $11 billion.

Global South defense sovereignty strategy

▪Terra Industries signed a memorandum of understanding with the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria to establish a joint venture focused on the domestic production of defense systems.
▪Terra Industries aims to provide locally manufactured defense infrastructure to Global South countries to reduce their reliance on fragmented security supply chains from the West, Russia, and China.

African manufacturing facilities expansion

▪Terra Industries maintains its manufacturing operations in West Africa, utilizing a 15,000-square-foot facility in Abuja, Nigeria, and a 34,000-square-foot facility in Ghana.
▪Terra Industries' manufacturing facility in Ghana is scheduled to become operational by the end of 2026, with a target capacity of producing 50,000 units annually by 2028.

London office for institutional access

▪Terra Industries will use a portion of the $52 million seed funding to open its first office outside Africa in London to access global defense institutions and engineering talent.
▪Terra Industries plans to establish a presence in San Francisco and Washington, D.C., to strengthen its access to United States capital and partnerships.