REGENT Announces Strategic Investment from Yamato Holdings
North Kingstown, R.I., March 28, 2023 — REGENT, creators of the category defining all-electric seagliders that connect coastal ports at speeds up to 180 MPH, today announced a strategic investment from Yamato Holdings, Japan’s largest parcel delivery and logistics company. The investment signifies the expansion of seaglider applications into a new vertical, further supports REGENT’s entry into the Japanese market following a recent investment by Japan Airlines Innovation Fund, and brings the company’s total investment to over $50 million.
“This investment from Yamato sets a clear path forward for our vision on seagliders to serve the critically important middle mile routes that connect high-volume freight carriers coming into port with last mile delivery services,” said Billy Thalheimer, co-founder and CEO of REGENT. “Partnering with Yamato brings seagliders to this market, and we look forward to identifying new ways to increase efficiencies within their supply chain and distribution networks.”
Yamato is the largest and leading parcel delivery provider in Japan that handles more than 2 billion parcels annually. Through its century-long history, the company has achieved multiple radical innovations, including the introduction of the currently nationwide popular TA-Q-BIN. Yamato continues innovating its business, including R&D activities on advanced transport modes, such as drones and eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) freighters.
“We see a unique opportunity and potential in REGENT seagliders which shall dramatically transform how logistics services are to be offered,” says Takaaki Adachi, Senior Manager to Innovation at Yamato Holdings (Executive Officer to Innovation at Yamato Transport). “This investment supports our commitment to sustainability, and like REGENT, a commitment to bringing forward-thinking, innovative solutions designed for tomorrow’s problems.”
REGENT seagliders are a new category of all-electric, overwater vehicles that can carry people and goods up to 180 miles using current battery technology. With a payload capacity of up to 3500 pounds, REGENT seagliders are uniquely suited to transporting cargo from primary ports to secondary coastal distribution nodes while providing a cleaner, more efficient alternative to existing transport options. REGENT has sold over 400 seagliders to date, to global aviation and ferry customers including Mokulele Airlines, Southern Airways Express, FRS (Germany), and Ocean Flyer (New Zealand). With more than $7.9 billion in orders from commercial operating partners around the world, REGENT expects its flagship seaglider, Viceroy, to enter service by mid-decade.
In addition to the investment, REGENT and Yamato Holdings plan to work together to bring seagliders to logistics markets in Japan and around the world. REGENT’s investors to date include Thiel Capital, Y Combinator, Founders Fund, and Mark Cuban.
About REGENT
REGENT is leading the way in sustainable maritime transportation. Using cutting-edge technology and innovative design, REGENT has created a new category of vehicle that is fast, efficient, and emission-free. REGENT’s seagliders combine the speed of an airplane with the maneuverability of a boat and travel exclusively over water between ports while utilizing existing dock infrastructure. Seagliders can be seamlessly integrated into any fleet and REGENT has already obtained $7.9 billion in orders from major airlines and leading ferry operators in 5 different continents. For more information, visit regentcraft.com or follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
About Yamato Holdings
Yamato Holdings is the holding company of Yamato Group which contains Yamato Transport, the largest and leading parcel delivery provider in Japan. Since its founding in 1919, the company has achieved multiple radical innovations, including the introduction of route transportation and the introduction of the nationwide popular TA-Q-BIN parcel delivery service. The company continues to create new values by integrating functions of the group companies into the TA-Q-BIN network.
https://yamato-hd.co.jp/english/