The funding round, announced on Monday, January 12, 2026, was led by Lonsdale’s venture firm 8VC, with Alex Moore, a defence-focused partner at 8VC and Palantir non-executive director, joining Terra’s board last year.
Founded in 2024 by Nathan Nwachuku, 22, and Maxwell Maduka, 24, the Abuja-based startup designs and manufactures long and mid-range drones, autonomous sentry towers, and uncrewed ground vehicles.
Terra provides security solutions for infrastructure assets across Africa valued at approximately $11 billion, including hydropower facilities in Nigeria and gold and lithium mining operations in Ghana.
“Africa is industrialising faster than any other region, with new mines, refineries and power plants emerging every month,” said Nwachuku.
“But none of that progress will matter if we don’t solve the continent’s greatest Achilles’ heel, which is insecurity and terrorism.”
The investment comes amid rising threats from extremist groups such as Islamic State and al-Qaeda, which are increasingly active across West Africa.
The Economic Community of West African States has declared a regional state of emergency in response to escalating insecurity.
Terra said the funds will be used to expand manufacturing capacity and accelerate its cross-border security and counter-terrorism operations.
The round also attracted global investors, including Valor Equity Partners, Lux Capital, SV Angel, Leblon Capital, Silent Ventures LLC, Nova Global, and angel investors such as Meyer Malka, managing partner at Ribbit Capital, known for backing fintech firms like Revolut and Credit Karma.
Terra Industries emphasises homegrown innovation, with the majority of its engineering team based in Africa, designing, building, and producing all systems on the continent.
The move positions the company at the intersection of African technological ingenuity and the urgent security demands facing the region.
