Nigerian drone maker Terra Industries raised new funding to expand output at its factory in Abuja and open a second in East Africa this quarter, its CEO Nathan Nwachuku told Semafor.
Terra Industries, which supplies defense equipment to governments and companies across Africa, raised $11.75 million from more than half a dozen backers including 8VC, a venture capital firm run by the co-founder of data analytics company Palantir, and SpaceX investor Valor Equity Partners. Founded in 2024, Terra’s clients include oil, mining, and power companies in Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya, though the majority of the revenue comes from governments, Nwachuku said.
Drone use is increasing in Africa across various sectors, including by the military for surveillance and warfare like in Sudan, but also for social services. American drone company Zipline secured $150 million in November from the US government to grow its health care product delivery operation that started in Rwanda a decade ago and has since expanded to Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, and Nigeria.