A Nigerian defence-technology startup Terra, has raised $11.75 million from U.S. investors in what is the largest funding round yet for Africa’s young defence-tech sector. The raise signals growing confidence in a model few African startups have attempted, building integrated defence systems that combine locally manufactured hardware with proprietary software.
Founded in 2023 and formerly known as Terrahaptix, Terra designs and manufactures drones, autonomous ground systems, and sentry towers from its 15,000-square-foot facility in Abuja. These systems are used to secure critical infrastructure such as power plants and mining operations across Africa for both government and commercial clients. The funding round was led by Silicon Valley venture firm 8VC, alongside Valour Equity Partners, Lux Capital, SV Angel, Leblon Capital, Silent Ventures, Nova Global, and angel investor Micky Malka. Alex Moore, a defence partner at 8VC and a board director at Palantir, joined Terra’s board in 2025.
Unlike many security vendors operating on the continent, Terra is betting on vertical integration. It builds its own hardware, develops its software in-house, deploys systems locally, and manages on-the-ground operations, reducing reliance on foreign suppliers that have traditionally dominated African defence contracts. At the centre of Terra’s offering is ArtemisOS, a proprietary platform that ingests real-time data from drones and sensors to automate threat detection, analysis, and response across large and remote sites.
Since its founding, Terra says it has generated over $2.5 million in revenue and now protects infrastructure assets valued at $11 billion, including hydropower plants in northern Nigeria, the Geometric Power Plant in Aba, and gold and lithium mining operations in Nigeria and Ghana. The new funding will be used to expand manufacturing capacity in Abuja and to grow its software and commercial teams in San Francisco and London.
“Africa is industrialising rapidly, but insecurity remains one of its biggest constraints,” said Nathan Nwachuku, Terra’s co-founder and CEO. “If we don’t solve that, the continent’s economic progress is at risk.”
For investors who have backed defence-tech companies like Anduril and Palantir, Terra represents a familiar thesis applied to an underserved market: integrated hardware and software, recurring revenue through enterprise software, and locally grounded execution. Whether the model scales remains to be seen, but Terra’s latest raise marks a notable shift in how African defence technology is being built and funded.
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