REGENT Craft Raises $240M Series B to Scale Seaglider Production

REGENT Craft secured $240 million in Series B funding on August 27, 2026, providing the capital required to transition its wing-in-ground-effect (WIG) Seaglider vessels from development into full-scale manufacturing. The funding round, split evenly between equity and debt, paves the way for the imminent first human flight of the company’s Viceroy prototype in North Kingstown, Rhode Island.

In a press release issued by the company, REGENT confirmed the investment brings its total raised capital to $340 million. The round was co-led by Mare Liberum, AE Ventures, and Erebor Bank, with participation from defense and commercial stakeholders including Lockheed Martin Ventures and Japan Airlines. The capital injection coincides with the completion of a 255,000-square-foot manufacturing facility and supports a commercial order book reportedly valued at over $10 billion.

Scaling production and certification milestones

The Series B funding marks a definitive shift for the Rhode Island-based manufacturer as it prepares to fulfill existing commercial orders. According to reporting by Tectonic Defense, REGENT co-founder and CEO Billy Thalheimer indicated the company has booked several years of manufacturing capacity and is eager to deliver on firm commercial orders backed by cash deposits.

“This investment marks a critical inflection point for REGENT as we move from development into production,” Thalheimer stated in the press release. “We have built significant momentum across both our defense and commercial pipelines, and this funding enables us to scale manufacturing, execute key certification milestones, and deliver Seagliders to customers.”

Resilience Media reported that full production of the Seagliders is expected to commence no earlier than 2027. The immediate focus remains on executing certification requirements and conducting the first crewed flight operations of the Viceroy platform.

Expanding defense and maritime security applications

While commercial passenger operations form a significant portion of REGENT’s backlog, defense applications have driven substantial investor interest. The company recently secured an expanded $15 million contract with the U.S. Marine Corps for the Viceroy platform. Additionally, REGENT’s autonomous Squire drone recently completed demonstrations at the military experimentation event Silent Swarm.

Thalheimer noted to Tectonic Defense that investor conviction in this round was heavily driven by the company’s expanding defense portfolio. This sentiment was echoed by Marcin Kowalik, General Partner at Balnord. Kowalik told Resilience Media the investment decision was driven by the need for maritime security along NATO’s eastern flank. He noted that the manufacturer’s specific WIG technology will be vital for maintaining safe operations in regions like the Baltic Sea.

AirPro News analysis

The ability to secure $120 million in debt alongside $120 million in equity suggests maturing institutional confidence in wing-in-ground-effect technology. While the broader advanced air mobility (AAM) sector often struggles to transition from prototyping to production due to capital constraints, REGENT’s dual-use strategy appears to be insulating it from market headwinds. We view the U.S. Marine Corps contract and the strategic location of the new 255,000-square-foot facility as indicators that the company is positioning itself as a primary maritime mobility provider for both civilian operators and the Department of Defense. The true test will be navigating the certification framework, as WIG vessels occupy a unique regulatory space between maritime and aviation authorities.

Sources: REGENT Craft