North Kingstown, R.I., March 02, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- REGENT, the company pioneering electric seagliders for sustainable maritime transportation, has been named to Fast Company’s prestigious annual list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies for 2023.
This year’s list highlights the businesses at the forefront of their respective industries, paving the way for the innovations of tomorrow. These companies are setting the standard with some of the greatest accomplishments of the modern world. In addition to the World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies, 540 organizations are recognized across 54 sectors and regions.
REGENT builds all-electric seagliders, a new category of vehicle that combines the speed and range of an aircraft with the convenience of a boat. Seagliders can float like a boat, rise up onto high-speed hydrofoils, and take off from the water, carrying passengers up to 180 miles on a single battery charge. REGENT successfully flew its quarter-scale prototype in 2022, marking the first time a vehicle has transitioned from a hydrofoil to a wing, unlocking the revolutionary combination of wave tolerance and speed that defines the seaglider.
"Seagliders are the first new mode of transportation since the helicopter and will completely transform regional coastal mobility in the next decade,” says Billy Thalheimer, co-founder and CEO of REGENT. “We’re honored to be recognized by Fast Company for the team’s creativity and drive in taking seagliders from idea to reality in less than two years, and we are incredibly excited to bring this technology to market.”
REGENT is now focused on building a full-scale prototype of its 12-passenger seaglider, Viceroy. It plans to conduct the first human flight tests in 2024, with entry to service by mid-decade. The company also plans to build a 100-passenger vehicle called Monarch with anticipated entry to service by the end of the decade.
Since being founded in 2020, REGENT has built an order book worth $7.9 billion from airline and ferry customers around the world and has secured strategic investments from major carriers including Hawaiian Airlines and Japan Airlines. The company has also raised more than $45 million to date from top-tier investors including Mark Cuban, Peter Thiel, Y Combinator, and Founders Fund.
Fast Company’s editors and writers sought out the companies making the biggest strides around the globe. They also judged nominations received through their application process.
The World’s Most Innovative Companies is Fast Company’s signature franchise and one of its most highly anticipated editorial efforts of the year. It provides a firsthand look at the inspiring and innovative efforts of companies across all sectors of the economy.
“What a strange and thrilling year it has been to honor this year’s Most Innovative Companies. This year’s list compiles some of the most cutting-edge groundbreakers who are changing our world every single day, from legacy organizations like McDonald’s to upstarts like MrBeast and institutions such as NASA. Everyone on this list does something completely, uniquely different, yet, they all have one thing in common: innovation,” said Fast Company editor-in-chief Brendan Vaughan.
Fast Company will host its third annual Most Innovative Companies Summit on April 19 and 20. The virtual summit celebrates the Most Innovative Companies in business, and provides an inside look at cutting-edge business trends and what it takes to innovate in 2023. Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies issue (March/April 2023) is available online here, as well as in-app form via iTunes, and on newsstands beginning March 14. The hashtag is #FCMostInnovative.
ABOUT REGENT
REGENT is pioneering the future of sustainable maritime mobility. REGENT builds seagliders, a new category of electric vehicle that operates exclusively over the water that will drastically reduce the time and cost of moving people and goods between coastal cities. Seagliders will service routes up to 180 miles with existing battery technology and up to 500 miles with next-generation batteries, via existing dock infrastructure. For more information, visit regentcraft.com or follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
ABOUT FAST COMPANY
Fast Company is the only media brand fully dedicated to the vital intersection of business, innovation, and design, engaging the most influential leaders, companies, and thinkers on the future of business. Headquartered in New York City, Fast Company is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with our sister publication Inc., and can be found online at www.fastcompany.com.
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