Company founding
Co-founders Billy Thalheimer and Mike Klinker founded to drastically improve regional coastal transportation.
Learn MoreOur mission is to drastically reduce the cost and headache of regional transportation between coastal cities. Our vehicle, called the Seaglider, is a wing-in-ground-effect craft that flies just above the water's surface and couples the high speed of an airplane with the convenience of a boat, all at the low cost of an all-electric system. Built to the same safety standards of modern aircraft and watercraft, our vehicle will service routes up to 180 miles at 180 mph with existing battery technology, and routes up to 400 miles with next-gen batteries, all via existing dock infrastructure. Backed by the same investors who support SpaceX, Anduril, and Archer Aviation, our team of passionate, forward-thinking builders combines the best of aerospace and maritime expertise to turn zero-emission, high-speed coastel travel intro reality.
Billy has accumulated a commercial backlog of Seaglider orders worth more than $10 billion, secured a U.S. Marine Corps contract, and raised over $100M from world-class investors. Prior to co-founding REGENT, Billy honed his skills in human-crewed electric aircraft development at Boeing subsidiary Aurora Flight Sciences, where he was responsible for aircraft design, program management, and business development for Boeing's portfolio of future air mobility solutions. Billy holds a B.S. and M.S. in Aerospace Engineering from MIT, where he was a competitive sailor, and is a licensed aerobatic pilot.
Mike has led the company’s efforts in developing the Seaglider, overseeing REGENT's successful demonstration of the first foil-to-wing transition of the quarter-scale Seaglider prototype and managing the integration and testing of the full-scale Seaglider prototype. Prior to co-founding REGENT, Mike held roles at Raptor Labs, MIT Lincoln Labs, and Aurora Flight Sciences, where he designed and operated cutting-edge autonomous and piloted vehicles. Mike holds a B.S. and M.S. in Aerospace Engineering from MIT, specializing in flight controls systems and complex systems integrations, and is an experienced mariner and helicopter pilot.
Co-founders Billy Thalheimer and Mike Klinker founded to drastically improve regional coastal transportation.
Learn MoreREGENT announced the first Viceroy Seaglider order by Brittany Ferries.
Learn MoreThe company moved to the Ocean State for its best-in-nation coastal testing environments, maritime composites expertise, and access to top talent.
Learn MoreREGENT’s quarter-scale Seaglider prototype achieved its first series of flights, proving its full ‘float, foil, fly’ mission.
Learn MoreREGENT revealed a mock-up of the 12-passenger Viceroy Seaglider at an event at its headquarters, showing the world’s first full-scale Seaglider design.
Learn MoreREGENT raised $60 million in Series A funding co-led by 8090 Industries and Founders Fund.
Learn MoreREGENT signed an agreement with the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab (MCWL) to demonstrate Seaglider technology for defense logistics operations.
Learn MoreREGENT opened its second office in Washington, D.C., to support Seaglider maritime certification and advance the company’s dual-use mission.
Learn MoreREGENT announced the first order of its 50-to-100- passenger Monarch Seaglider, UME Shipping.
Learn MoreREGENT and Rhode Island leaders broke ground on the 255,000 square-foot manufacturing center in Quonset Business Park.
Learn MoreREGENT and Strategic Development Fund (SDF) signed an agreement to bring Seaglider manufacturing and aftermarket services to the UAE.
Learn MoreREGENT completes the first on-water tests of the full-scale Viceroy Seaglider prototype with humans onboard.
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