ACE 2026 - September 8th
The bimonthly news publication for aviation professionals.
Regent Craft has raised $240 million in a Series B funding round as the Seaglider developer moves from prototype development into full-scale manufacturing. The round was co-led by Mare Liberum and AE Ventures, with debt capital provided by Erebor Bank. It brings together investors with backgrounds in maritime, aviation and national security, reflecting the Seaglider's applications across commercial and defence markets.
The funding arrives ahead of several upcoming steps for Regent, including the first human flight of its Viceroy prototype and the start of manufacturing at its 255,000 sq ft Seaglider facility in Rhode Island, which was recently completed. On the military side, Regent has secured an expanded US Marine Corps contract for the Viceroy Seaglider and reports rising interest in its autonomous Squire platform, which has already completed demonstration flights. Commercially, the company has built an order book spanning six continents and booked multiple years of manufacturing capacity, including its first US delivery and launch partner, The Twenty Five.
Billy Thalheimer, co-founder and chief executive of Regent, says: “This investment marks a critical inflection point for Regent as we move from development into production. We have built significant momentum across both our defence and commercial pipelines, and this funding enables us to scale manufacturing, execute key certification milestones and deliver Seagliders to customers.”
Admiral Lorin Selby, general partner at Mare Liberum, adds: “Regent is a leader in this emerging category with a strong track record of technical development and growing engagement with defence customers.”
New investor DCVC joined the round, alongside existing backers Founders Fund, Caffeinated Capital, Lockheed Martin Ventures, Japan Airlines and Giant Step Capital. The investment will also support Regent's international plans, including Seaglider operations and manufacturing in the UAE with the Strategic Development Fund, defence work in the Baltic Sea with Poland's Balnord, and commercial services across the Aegean Islands with Greece's iGrow.