July 20, 2022

July 2022 Update: Technology & Ecosystem Wins

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This month we’ve significantly matured our technology while notching a major ecosystem win, alongside our growing book of commercial sales. Our progress to date shows that not only do we have customers lining up for seaglider orders, but that they will be able to take delivery and operate them in real ecosystems.

Progress to date

  1. Technology: We took Squire to the wind tunnel giving us insight into its aerodynamics and in-flight controllability. Next step—back to the water in the coming weeks for the final push towards flight!
  2. Location: We’re moving our global HQ to Rhode Island after receiving one of the largest economic incentive packages in state history.
  3. Commercial: Announced Mokulele Airlines as our launch partner in Hawaii.
  4. Ecosystems: Proved viability of seagliders in complex ecosystems with a major infrastructure and financing partnership in Hawaii with Pacific Current / Hawaiian Electric Industries.

Wind Tunnel Testing

To prepare for our flight testing this month, we took Squire to the ACE Wind Tunnel in Ontario. We tested the vehicle configurations in the tunnel’s controlled environment which helped us to determine the best angle of attack for flight. Our plan is to take these settings back to the water this month as we launch Squire back in the water in Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island with greater confidence in our ability to transition from foil to flight.

The REGENT team and the 1/4 scale prototype at the ACE Wind Tunnel in Ontario.

REGENT is Moving to the Ocean State

We’re excited to announce that REGENT is moving to Rhode Island!  REGENT is a special company with several key requirements for its HQ location:

  • Deep and protected low-traffic waterways for hydrofoil testing
  • Proximity to the ocean for high-speed and inclement-weather testing
  • Proximity to city center and airport
  • Strong aerospace and maritime talent pool
  • Coastal land for near-term testing milestones & long-term production milestones

We found all this in North Kingston, RI on the north side of Quonset Airport.  But what really sealed the deal besides the 40 acres of coastal real estate to build out our facilities for the next decade was the economic incentive package offered to us by the state.  In one of the largest packages in state history, we will receive $13-32M over the next 10 years based on our growth. We’re excited to call the Ocean State our new home!

Ecosystem Update: The First U.S. Seaglider Network

Our ecosystem development efforts notched a huge series of wins in Hawaii, which has become an important case study in what it takes to launch a seaglider network. Last month we announced important new partnerships with energy, infrastructure, and operating partners in Hawaii that will allow us to build out one of the first seaglider networks in the United States. This announcement—the culmination of nearly a year engaging with stakeholders across public, private, and civic sectors in Hawaii—named Pacific Current, a subsidiary of HEI (NYSE: HE), as the preferred energy and infrastructure partner and Mokulele Airlines, a Southern Airways Company, as the operator launch partner with their intent to bring a fleet of REGENT’s 12-passenger Viceroy seagliders to the island chain.

So why does this matter? Anyone can sell technology (and we have—Mokulele has firm, nonrefundable deposits down) but bringing technology to market obviously involves much more. It is also critical to make sure routes are feasible and the necessary infrastructure is ready for our customers, like Mokulele, to take delivery. That's why having Pacific Current onboard is so powerful—they will offer seaglider financing and access to renewable energy and electric charging infrastructure for the Hawaii seaglider network. Our first step is a Hawaii feasibility study to inform route selection, quantify weather sensitivity, and assess community and environmental impact—and Pacific Current is splitting the bill.

From left to right: Mike Klinker, REGENT Cofounder & CTO  /  Stan Little, Chairman & CEO, Southern Airways and Mokulele Airlines  /  Avi Mannis, Senior Vice President – Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Hawaiian Airlines  /  Melissa Miyashiro, Executive Director at Blue Planet Foundation / Scott Valentino, President of Pacific Current  /  Kelly Simek, KHON-TV  / Chris Lee, Hawai'i State Representative and Chairman of the Transportation Committee

REGENT in the News