Billy Thalheimer and Mike Klinker - 23 Who Made a Difference in RI in 2023

Billy Thalheimer and Mike Klinker - 23 Who Made a Difference in RI in 2023

Billy Thalheimer and Mike Klinker —the two MIT grads — have one of the hottest startup companies ever in Rhode Island. You may have to go back to Samuel Slater launching his manufacturing play to find as big a potential.

Regent, the Rhode Island-based startup, is piling up big news. In April, the company unveiled its first full-scale mock-up of its seaglider prototype.

Regent seagliders are a new category of maritime vehicle that combines the high speed of an airplane with the low operating cost of a boat. These all-electric, zero-emission vessels operate exclusively over water and leverage existing dock infrastructure to carry people and goods up to 180 miles with existing battery technology, at 180 miles per hour between coastal destinations.  

GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST

CEO Thalheimer said, “Our studies, based on publicly validated data, show that our seagliders serve an $11 billion market that we project to swell to as much as $25 billion as battery technology advances. The $8 billion in orders our company has already received from a variety of companies around the world reflect the need for fast, reliable, and sustainable maritime transportation.”

This year, the Regent named Dennis Muilenburg, former CEO of The Boeing Company, and David Neeleman, co-founder of Breeze Airways, JetBlue, and Azul Airlines, to its Board of Advisors. 

The company has received orders for more than 400 seagliders worth $8 billion from airline and ferry operators around the world, as well as strategic investments from companies including Lockheed Martin, Japan Airlines, and Hawaiian Airlines. REGENT has raised more than $50 million to date from investors, including Thiel Capital, Y Combinator, Founders Fund, and Mark Cuban.