Nigerian drone company Terra
Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale has led an $11.8 million investment round in Terra Industries, a fast-growing Nigerian defense startup expanding drone manufacturing as insecurity intensifies across Africa. The funding, led by Lonsdale’s 8VC fund, will help Terra scale production and broaden its role in cross-border security and counterterrorism operations. Founded in 2024 by two Nigerian entrepreneurs, the Abuja-based company builds long- and mid-range drones, autonomous sentry towers, and unmanned ground vehicles that protect critical infrastructure, such as mines and power plants, worth about $11 billion across Nigeria and Ghana. As extremist groups gain ground across the Sahel and West Africa, investors see Terra as a homegrown answer to Africa’s mounting security challenges.
Bloomberg