Terra Industries raised $22 million in a seed extension round in February 2026 led by Lux Capital, bringing total funding to approximately $34 million. The round included follow-on participation from 8VC, Nova Global, Resilience17 Capital, Silent Ventures, Belief Capital, and others.

The company previously raised $11.75 million in its initial seed round in January 2026, led by 8VC with participation from Valor Equity Partners, Lux Capital, SV Angel, Nova Global, Tofino Capital, Kaleo Ventures, and DFS Lab.

Key investors across both rounds include Lux Capital, 8VC, Valor Equity Partners, SV Angel, Nova Global, Tofino Capital, Kaleo Ventures, DFS Lab, Resilience17 Capital, Silent Ventures, and Belief Capital.

Terra Industries builds an integrated autonomous defense system that protects critical infrastructure across land, air, and sea. The company manufactures hardware in-house at a 15,000 square foot facility in Abuja, currently the largest drone factory on the African continent.

The hardware portfolio includes mid- and long-range multirotor and fixed-wing drones capable of hours-long loitering with electro-optical and infrared payloads for day-night surveillance. Autonomous sentry towers stand approximately 12 meters tall with 360-degree cameras, radar, and acoustic sensors that create a protective mesh around assets like power plants and mine perimeters.

Unmanned ground vehicles provide four-wheel electric patrol capabilities with pan-tilt-zoom cameras and loud-hailers for terrain-based response. Maritime systems include low-profile surface drones and high-altitude balloons for coastal and offshore pipeline protection.

All hardware streams data into ArtemisOS, Terra's proprietary edge-plus-cloud platform that serves as the unified operating brain. ArtemisOS auto-registers every device on a single mission dashboard and uses onboard computer-vision models to detect threats like unauthorized digging near pipelines or intrusion heat signatures at night.

Operators draw geofences or patrol routes on the dashboard while ArtemisOS schedules towers, drones, and ground vehicles to cover blind spots and avoid conflicts. The system can automatically launch drones when tower cameras detect motion, then hand off to ground rovers for close inspection.

Video storage occurs on Nigerian data centers to meet sovereign data requirements, with external system integration through REST APIs.

Terra is a vertically integrated defense technology company that manufactures hardware in-house and develops proprietary software for unified command and control. Sales are direct to governments and private infrastructure operators via long-term contracts that pair upfront hardware sales with recurring software subscriptions.

Go-to-market is B2B, with a focus on critical infrastructure operators including power plants, mining companies, ports, and government agencies. The sales process includes site surveys, 3D mapping, and custom deployment planning prior to installation of integrated systems.

Revenue comes from three streams: initial hardware sales for drones, towers, and ground vehicles; recurring ArtemisOS software subscriptions for ongoing threat detection and system coordination; and maintenance contracts for hardware servicing and software updates.

Integrated deployments across large infrastructure sites create high switching costs. Multi-year contracts increase revenue visibility, and the combination of hardware and software creates opportunities for expansion within existing customer accounts.

Vertical integration shortens iteration cycles and enables customization relative to assembling third-party components, and local manufacturing in Nigeria lowers costs and meets local content requirements for government contracts.

Anduril Industries represents the primary global competitor with its Lattice autonomy software and integrated sensor manufacturing. Anduril's $2.3 billion in funding and massive Arsenal-1 production facility in Ohio provide significant scale advantages, plus a $200 million joint venture with UAE's EDGE for Middle East and North Africa expansion.

Palantir competes on the software side with AI command and control systems that can ingest feeds from Terra or rival sensor networks. The company's board representation at Terra investor 8VC creates strategic visibility while Palantir simultaneously sells to Western forces operating in Africa.

Paramount Group dominates South African defense with integrated UAV and ISR capabilities across the Mwari aircraft platform. Existing government relationships and mandatory local work-share requirements position Paramount as a significant threat for large sovereign contracts.

Denel and other South African defense contractors leverage established relationships and local manufacturing capabilities, though many face financial constraints that limit R&D investment in autonomous systems.

Turkish drone manufacturers like Baykar and TAI offer cost-competitive solutions with proven combat effectiveness, scaling regional production hubs across Africa. Chinese suppliers provide price-aggressive alternatives with government-backed financing, though data sovereignty concerns limit adoption for critical infrastructure.

Israeli companies including Elbit Systems and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems bring advanced sensor technology and autonomous capabilities, competing primarily on technical superiority rather than local manufacturing or cost.

ArtemisOS can be packaged as a standalone command and control suite for third-party integrators, creating a pure software revenue stream beyond hardware sales. The platform's ability to coordinate multiple autonomous systems positions it for licensing to other defense contractors and government agencies.

Counter-terrorism and border surveillance modules represent natural extensions of existing capabilities. RF jammers, passive radar sensors, and autonomous mobile checkpoints can integrate with current hardware platforms while addressing adjacent security requirements.

Maritime and coastal systems offer significant expansion potential as offshore wind farms, LNG terminals, and port authorities currently rely on expensive foreign naval contractors for autonomous surveillance capabilities.

Africa's critical mineral reserves and $100 billion annual infrastructure spending create a vast addressable market beyond current deployments. Mines, refineries, and processing facilities in remote, high-risk regions represent fast-growing buyer segments requiring autonomous security solutions.

Utility and energy operators building cross-border transmission corridors under the African Continental Power Systems Master Plan need protection for distributed infrastructure assets. Gas pipelines, solar farms, and power generation facilities offer recurring revenue opportunities.

Government agencies across defense, customs, and interior ministries represent incremental TAM well beyond private sector infrastructure. Border security and counter-terrorism applications can leverage existing autonomous capabilities for sovereign security requirements.

Pan-African rollout beyond Nigeria and Ghana addresses rising Sahel-region insecurity and cross-border infrastructure protection needs. Large, sparsely patrolled borders require autonomous surveillance systems that Terra's integrated approach can address more cost-effectively than foreign alternatives.

Regional expansion benefits from local manufacturing capabilities and data sovereignty compliance, providing competitive advantages over international suppliers subject to export controls or higher logistics costs.

Export restrictions: Western competitors operate under ITAR and other export controls, which may create openings for Terra. The company's own expansion could face the same constraints if it incorporates controlled technologies or serves restricted markets, limiting addressable demand.

Sovereign competition: Government-backed competitors from China and Turkey can offer below-market pricing with state financing, while established local players in key markets may receive preference through local content requirements and existing relationships.

Technology gaps: Maintaining competitive autonomous capabilities requires continuous R&D spend against well-funded global competitors with deeper technical resources, creating pressure to raise capital or risk falling behind on core product differentiation.