Japan Airlines Invests in Seaglider Maker

Regent, a developer of electric seagliders used in maritime transportation, has received an investment from Japan Airlines Innovation Fund, the venture arm of Japan Airlines.

The investment from Japan Airlines takes Regent’s capital raised to date to $45 million. Other investors in Regent include Thiel Capital, Y Combinator, Founders Fund, and Mark Cuban. Seagliders combine the high speed of an airplane with the low operating cost of a boat. These all-electric, zero-emission vessels operate over the water and use existing dock infrastructure to carry people and goods up to 180 miles between coastal destinations with existing battery technology and up to 500 miles with next-generation batteries.

“This strategic investment speaks to the growing adoption of seaglider technology by major airlines,” said Billy Thalheimer, co-founder and CEO of Regent. “At Regent, we’re at the helm of ushering in a completely new era in sustainable transportation, and JAL Innovation Fund’s investment gives us the resources and support that we need to unveil an innovative approach for regional travel at lower costs, faster speeds, and zero emissions.”

To date, Regent has sold over 400 seagliders to aviation and ferry customers including Mokulele Airlines, Southern Airways Express, FRS (Germany), and Ocean Flyer (New Zealand). Regent was founded in 2020 and is headquartered 70 miles south of Boston in North Kingstown, Rhode Island.

The company has more than $7.5 billion in orders from various commercial operating partners around the world. Regent is targeting 2025 for its Viceroy 12-passenger seaglider to enter commercial service.

“We are very pleased to make this investment in Regent from our corporate venture capital, JAL Innovation Fund,” said Yasushi Noda, an executive officer and senior vice president of digital innovation at Japan Airlines. “We believe seagliders are a safe, sustainable, and economical solution and we are excited to work with Regent to assess demand not only in Japan but around the world.”

Palto Alto-headquartered Translink Capital is the general partner and Japan Airlines is the limited partner of the Japan Airlines Innovation Fund which was launched in January 2019. Translink invests mainly in early-stage startups targeting disruptive technologies and business models.

Japan Airlines was founded in 1951 and became the first international airline in Japan. The airline has a fleet of 227 aircraft and flies to 381 cities in 65 countries around the world.

© 2023 Venture Capital Investor | January 26, 2023

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