TerraFirma
"Texas Born, Mars Bound"
Texas construction-tech company retrofitting heavy equipment like excavators and bulldozers for remote/autonomous earthmoving; raised $115M Series A in 2026.
TerraFirma (terrafirma.inc) is a U.S. construction-technology company, based in Texas, that builds a platform for operating heavy earthmoving equipment semi-autonomously and remotely. The company's stated mission is to "transform construction through automation and bold engineering -- faster, safer, and cheaper," and its website messaging references founders with prior SpaceX experience building crewed rocket systems, stating: "At SpaceX, we built the rockets to reach Mars. Now, we're focused on the payload."
TerraFirma's offering has three named components. "Mission Planner" is AI-enabled pre-construction software used for project bidding, planning, simulation, and execution. "Mission Control" is a remote command-and-control center from which operators coordinate work across job sites. "Accelerated Operations" refers to TerraFirma's retrofit of standard heavy machinery -- excavators, bulldozers, skid steers, wheel loaders, motor graders, and rollers -- with hardware and software that allow the machines to be operated remotely by a small crew or run autonomously for defined tasks, rather than requiring an operator physically in each cab.
The company applies this equipment and software to earthwork scopes including mass excavation, land clearing, foundations, grading, grubbing, and site demolition. As of 2025, TerraFirma reported active job sites in the Austin, Texas area, including North Austin and Taylor, Texas, with references to work associated with Starbucks and a nonprofit partner.
TerraFirma raised $115 million in Series A funding, reported in mid-2026, to scale its semi-autonomous heavy-equipment platform -- a substantial early-stage round reflecting investor interest in automating heavy civil construction, an industry that has historically lagged manufacturing and logistics in adopting robotics and remote operation due to the unstructured, outdoor nature of job sites. TerraFirma positions its approach as reducing the number of skilled equipment operators required on site, improving safety by removing operators from hazardous excavation and demolition environments, and increasing daily production rates through centralized, software-driven mission planning. Specific founding year, employee headcount, and a confirmed street-level headquarters address were not published on the sections of the company's site reviewed and are therefore left blank in this profile rather than inferred from indirect signals such as copyright dates.
Primary type & automation activities this supplier delivers:
Mission Planner
AI-enabled pre-construction software suite for project bidding, planning, and simulation before execution.
Mission Control
Remote command-and-control center coordinating autonomous and remotely operated construction equipment across job sites.
Accelerated Operations
Retrofit platform enabling excavators, dozers, and loaders to run autonomously or remotely with automatic person detection safety.
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Company Facts
Founded
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Primary Role
Manufacturer
Company Size
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Primary Region
North America
Annual Sales
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Funding Stage
Early-Stage VC
Funding Total
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