When African governments think about securing power plants, mining sites or national borders, the instinct has long been to look outward. Imported systems, foreign contractors and long procurement cycles have defined the continent’s defense infrastructure for decades. Nathan Nwachuku and Maxwell Maduka are building in the opposite direction. The Nigerian founders of Terra Industries are part of a small but growing group of African entrepreneurs tackling one of the continent’s hardest problems: how to protect critical infrastructure using locally built, locally operated defense technology. Their bet is that security, like payments or energy, works best when it is designed close to the realities it serves. Founders Building for the Hardest Layer Founded in 2024, Terra Industries reflects its founders’ appetite for complexity. Defense technology is capital‑intensive, highly regulated and politically sensitive. It is not a space that rewards quick wins or surface‑level innovation. But Nwachuku and Maduka chose it anyway. Rather than building consumer software or light enterprise tools, they focused on the systems layer of security. The kind that operates across land, air and water. The kind that must work continuously, quietly and without failure. Their approach combines hardware and software, integrating surveillance drones, automated watchtowers, unmanned ground vehicles and maritime monitoring systems into a single operational platform. At the center is ArtemisOS, Terra’s proprietary software layer that allows security teams to detect threats in real time and coordinate responses with fewer personnel. For the founders, the objective is reliability. Local Manufacturing as Strategy, Not Symbolism One of Terra’s most deliberate choices is where it builds. The company operates a 15,000‑square‑foot manufacturing facility in Abuja, where much of its hardware is produced by African engineers. For Nwachuku and Maduka, this is not a branding exercise. It is a strategic decision aimed at reducing dependence on imported defense systems while building technical capacity locally. In a sector where supply chains are often global and opaque, local manufacturing gives Terra tighter control over deployment, maintenance and iteration. It also aligns with the founders’ broader view that Africa’s security infrastructure should not be permanently outsourced. Investor Confidence in a Difficult Category That vision has attracted serious backing. Terra Industries recently raised $11.75 million in funding led by U.S. venture capital firm 8VC, with participation from Valor Equity Partners, Lux Capital, SV Angel, Leblon Capital, Silent Ventures and Nova Global. The round signals rare investor confidence in an African defense‑technology startup operating at an early stage. Alex Moore, a partner at 8VC and board member at Palantir, sits on Terra’s board. His presence places the company, and by extension its founders, within a global conversation about data‑driven security systems and modern defense infrastructure. For Nwachuku and Maduka, the capital is a tool, not a milestone. It will be used to hire more engineers, expand manufacturing capacity and deploy Terra’s systems across additional African markets. Why Their Timing Matters Africa holds close to 30% of the world’s critical mineral resources, yet insecurity continues to slow infrastructure development and industrial expansion. As global supply chains look increasingly to the continent, the cost of insecure assets is rising. The founders see this clearly. Their argument is straightforward: security infrastructure is economic infrastructure. Without reliable protection, power plants stall, mines shut down and transport corridors fracture. By building security systems designed for African conditions and governance realities, Nwachuku and Maduka are positioning Terra not just as a defense company, but as a foundational layer for long‑term growth. Building Quietly, Building Hard Things Terra Industries is still early. But its founders are operating in a category where patience, discipline and credibility matter more than speed. Nwachuku and Maduka are not trying to out‑market global defense giants. They are trying to out‑understand the terrain, the risks and the institutions they serve. In African technology, the most consequential founders are often those building in spaces few are willing to touch. Defense is one of them. And Terra’s founders are building there, deliberately.
