African Defense Startup Terra Raises $22M in Two Weeks, Valuation Tops $100M

The rapid funding extension brings Terra's total raise to $34M and pushes its valuation past the $100M milestone.

Published on Feb. 18, 2026

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African defense startup Terra has secured $22 million in a rapid follow-on funding round, pushing its total raised to $34 million and valuation past $100 million. The speed of the raise is unusual for African startups, which often take months or years to secure follow-on capital. The new round was led by Lux Capital, with participation from both new and existing investors including Flutterwave CEO Olugbenga Agboola and actor Jared Leto. Terra designs and manufactures autonomous drones, sentry towers, and unmanned ground vehicles integrated through its proprietary software platform.

Why it matters

Terra's rapid funding and valuation milestone highlight growing investor appetite for African defense technology startups addressing the continent's security challenges. The company's vertically integrated model, similar to U.S. peers like Anduril and Palantir, positions it as a local alternative to imported defense systems that can be expensive to maintain and expose operators to supply chain risks.

The details

Founded in 2024 by 22-year-old CEO Nathan Nwachuku and 24-year-old Maxwell Maduka, Terra has signed contracts worth tens of millions across multiple African countries and generated over $2.5 million in commercial revenue. The new capital will be used to expand manufacturing, accelerate deployments, and hire senior talent across Africa, London, and San Francisco. Terra also recently announced a partnership with Saudi industrial group AIC Steel to establish a joint manufacturing facility in Saudi Arabia, marking the startup's first production base outside of Africa.

  • Terra was founded in 2024.
  • The company secured $22 million in a rapid follow-on round in February 2026.

The players

Terra

An African defense startup that designs and manufactures autonomous drones, sentry towers, and unmanned ground vehicles integrated through its proprietary software platform.

Nathan Nwachuku

The 22-year-old co-founder and CEO of Terra.

Maxwell Maduka

The 24-year-old co-founder of Terra.

Lux Capital

The venture capital firm that led Terra's latest $22 million funding round.

Olugbenga Agboola

The CEO of Flutterwave, who invested in Terra's latest round through his firm Resilience17 Capital.

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What they’re saying

“Africa is industrialising faster than any other region. But none of that progress will matter if we don't solve the continent's greatest Achilles' heel, which is insecurity and terrorism.”

— Nathan Nwachuku, Co-founder and CEO, Terra (businessinsider.com)

What’s next

Terra plans to scale production to 40,000 drones annually and is preparing to develop a larger manufacturing facility, although the location has not yet been disclosed.

The takeaway

Terra's rapid funding and valuation milestone demonstrate growing investor confidence in African defense technology startups addressing the continent's security challenges. The company's vertically integrated model positions it as a local alternative to imported defense systems, highlighting the potential for homegrown innovation to solve Africa's infrastructure security issues.