REGENT (Founding)

Founding Year: 2021
Company Description: REGENT is building a new mode of transportation that will redefine regional mobility by mid-decade. Their first product, the seaglider, is an all-electric, hydrofoiling boat-plane that operates within a wingspan of the water's surface. By flying low on a cushion of air, seagliders unlock the ability to fly twice as far as an electric aircraft, while being regulated by maritime authorities enabling market entry for a fraction of the cost. REGENT has de-risked seaglider technology with a ¼-scale, 400 lb, flying demonstration vehicle and a full-scale wing test section. By 2024, REGENT will fly humans on the first full-scale prototype seaglider. By mid-decade, REGENT’s customers - airlines and ferry companies – will begin commercial seaglider service on the 12-seat initial product. In just two years, REGENT has accumulated $8B in provisional orders (including firm deposits) proving the potential of the $25B+ initial market. REGENT, a team of 40, is led by MIT-trained, ex-Boeing engineers Billy Thalheimer and Mike Klinker. REGENT has raised $50M to date from the likes of Thiel Capital, Founders Fund, Mark Cuban, Y Combinator, and includes strategic investment from Japan Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and Mesa Airlines.
Market: Industrials
Coinvestors: YCombinator