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Nigerian defence-technology startup Terra Industries has appointed former Palantir and WHOOP executive Todd Stiefler as its new Director of Commercial, strengthening its leadership team as the company prepares to expand beyond its African customer base into international markets.
Stiefler will oversee Terra’s commercial operations as the company seeks to turn its growing portfolio of autonomous defence and surveillance technologies into a broader global business.
His appointment comes only a week after Terra named Ben MacWilliams, a former SpaceX director, as Vice President of Strategy, highlighting the startup’s accelerating push to build senior leadership capacity around international expansion, government relations and commercial growth.
Stiefler Brings Defence and Technology Experience
Stiefler joins Terra with experience spanning government, defence, aviation and technology.
His career began with roles at the US Department of State and the US Senate, before moving into the private sector with GE Digital and GE Aviation, where he worked across product marketing and management in areas including defence, aviation and oil and gas.
He later spent about 11 months in business development at Palantir, the US technology company known for its data and artificial-intelligence platforms for governments and enterprises.
Stiefler subsequently became Vice President of Enterprise at WHOOP, a wearable-technology company, where he focused on enterprise business development.
He has also founded Shipton Global Advisors, a consultancy focused on helping technology companies expand into African markets.
That combination of government, defence and commercial experience could prove valuable as Terra attempts to navigate the complex requirements involved in selling defence technology across different jurisdictions.
Terra Raises Funding for Bigger Expansion
The executive appointment follows a significant period of fundraising for Terra.
Earlier in August, the startup secured an additional $18 million, taking its total funding to approximately $51.7 million.
The latest capital came after Terra raised $11.7 million in January 2026 and another $22 million in February, giving the company substantial financial backing as it accelerates its expansion plans.
Terra is using the capital to pursue a broader vision than simply manufacturing and selling individual drones.
The company wants to develop a vertically integrated defence business centred on autonomous systems, with applications across surveillance, security and asset protection.
Its customer base already extends beyond traditional defence operations, with the startup working with organisations in sectors including oil, mining and power.
Terra says its technology is currently used to protect assets valued at approximately $11 billion.
Manufacturing Footprint Expands
The company’s international ambitions are also being supported by investment in manufacturing capacity.
In April 2026, Terra announced plans to develop Pax-2, its second manufacturing facility in Ghana.
The facility is expected to eventually have the capacity to manufacture as many as 50,000 drones annually, significantly increasing Terra’s potential production capabilities.
The company has also established an office in London and is exploring manufacturing opportunities in the Middle East.
The expansion gives Terra a growing physical presence outside Nigeria while positioning Ghana and other locations as potential production bases for international markets.
Former SpaceX Executive Leads Strategy
Stiefler’s appointment follows Terra’s decision to bring Ben MacWilliams into its senior leadership team on August 19.
MacWilliams, who previously worked as a director at SpaceX, is responsible for strategy, regulatory approvals and government partnerships as the startup enters additional markets across the Global South.
Together, the two appointments give Terra executives with experience in commercial expansion and strategic government engagement at a time when the company is moving into more complex international markets.
For a defence technology company, those capabilities are particularly important because market expansion can involve regulatory approvals, government procurement processes, export controls and relationships with security agencies.
From Nigerian Startup to Global Defence Ambition
Terra’s rapid expansion comes only two years after its founding.
The company was established in 2024 by Nathan Nwachuku and Maxwell Maduka, who shifted from an earlier bionic-technology project towards drone-based surveillance and defence systems.
Its first major institutional funding came in January 2026, when it raised $11.75 million in a round led by 8VC.
Additional capital followed within weeks, and the latest $18 million injection has brought the startup’s total funding to about $51.7 million.
The funding has allowed Terra to pursue an increasingly ambitious strategy: developing autonomous systems, expanding manufacturing and building the commercial infrastructure required to sell its products internationally.
Building an African Defence Technology Company
Terra’s latest executive hire therefore represents more than another addition to its management team.
The startup is attempting to transition from an African company proving that sophisticated defence hardware can be developed and manufactured on the continent into an international technology business capable of competing for customers across multiple regions.
With Stiefler taking responsibility for commercial operations, MacWilliams leading strategy and regulatory expansion, and new manufacturing capacity being developed, Terra is assembling the infrastructure needed for that next stage.
The challenge will be converting its growing funding base, technology portfolio and African market experience into sustainable international sales.
If successful, Terra could emerge as one of the African technology companies demonstrating that advanced defence and autonomous systems can be developed on the continent and commercialised for global markets.
