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Terra Industries, a defence technology company focused on autonomous security systems for critical infrastructure in the Global South, has appointed Ben MacWilliams as Vice President of Strategy.
Previously, MacWilliams worked at SpaceX as Director of Starlink Market Access, where he launched the service in over 20 African countries and collaborated with government officials.
He also led market access efforts in the Middle East and Central Eurasia, securing licenses for low Earth orbit broadband.
“Nathan, Maxwell, and the Terra team have built a transformational company—with deep technical talent, a bold vision, and real traction. Having spent years scaling Starlink’s commercial presence and infrastructure across the African continent, I understand why sovereign defence capability matters. I’m excited to work with the Terra team and accelerate the mission to empower the Global South to safeguard its people, infrastructure, and natural resources,” said Ben MacWilliams, Vice President of Strategy at Terra Industries.
At Terra, MacWilliams will handle market entry, licensing strategies, and partnerships with governments as the company expands its systems into new markets in the Global South.
“The next phase for us at Terra is getting our technology to governments that need it. That means licenses, regulators, and relationships across dozens of markets at once. Ben has done this at the highest level, and we’re proud to have him,” said Nathan Nwachuku, co-founder and CEO of Terra Industries.
The appointment follows a period of rapid growth for Terra Industries. The company recently closed its $52 million Seed round and opened its first international office in London.
Founded in 2024, Terra develops integrated air, land, and maritime systems powered by ArtemisOS, its unified software platform for large-scale security operations.
The company serves critical sectors including energy, mineral resources, urban infrastructure, maritime assets, border security, and counterterrorism operations. It recently announced plans to open the continent’s largest drone manufacturing facility in Accra, Ghana.
Called Pax-2, the 34,000-square-foot facility will be Terra’s second manufacturing facility and serve as its primary regional defence manufacturing base for drone and counter-drone systems. The new manufacturing facility follows the 15,000-square-foot Pax-1 flagship facility in Abuja, Nigeria.
Terra’s Pax-2 manufacturing facility isw set to open in Q4 2026 and will become the largest drone factory on the African continent once fully operational, with an expected annual capacity of 50,000 units across Terra’s aerial systems portfolio by 2028.
Terra Industries works with governments, infrastructure operators, and strategic partners across Africa and internationally.
