REGENT YC Application

Winter 2021Active

REGENT went through Y Combinator in the Winter 2021 batch as a Industrials company. Below: what the company does, who founded it, and its application to YC, reconstructed question by question in the real YC form.

YC batch: Winter 2021
Industry: IndustrialsAviation and Space
Team size: 40
Status: Active
Launched: 2021

Founders

Billy ThalheimerFounder
Michael KlinkerFounder

What REGENT does

REGENT is building a new mode of transportation that will redefine regional mobility by 2026. Their first product, the seaglider, is an all-electric, hydrofoiling flying-boat that operates within a wingspan of the water's surface. By flying low on a cushion of air, seagliders unlock the ability to fly twice as far as an electric aircraft, while being regulated by maritime authorities enabling market entry for a fraction of the cost. REGENT has de-risked seaglider technology with a ¼-scale flying demonstration vehicle. By this summer, REGENT will fly humans on the 15,000 lb (7000kg) first full-scale prototype seaglider, which will be the largest electric-flying machine in history. By late 2026, REGENT’s customers - airlines and ferry companies - will begin commercial seaglider service on the 12-seat initial product. A 100 passenger version, already with firm orders, will follow several years later. In just four years, REGENT has accumulated >$10B in pre-orders (including firm deposits) from airlines and ferry companies around the world. Currently a team of 100, REGENT is led by MIT-trained, ex-Boeing engineers Billy Thalheimer and Mike Klinker. REGENT has raised over $100M to date from the likes of Founders Fund, Japan Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and Lockheed Martin, and is on contract with the US Marine Corps.

REGENT's YC application, reconstructed

Y Combinator application

REGENT, Winter 2021 batch. The real form questions, answered from public data.

Founders2
Company7
Progress7
Idea4
Equity3
Curious2
Batch Preference1

Company

Company name

REGENT

Describe what your company does in 50 characters or less.

All-electric seagliders for fast regional transport

What is your company going to make? Please describe your product and what it does or will do.

We are building seagliders - fully electric, hydrofoiling flying boats that fly just above the water's surface. They combine the efficiency of electric aircraft with the operational simplicity of boats, regulated by maritime authorities. Our first product is a 12-seat seaglider aimed at regional airlines and ferry operators, with a 100-passenger model in development.

Where do you live now, and where would the company be based after YC?

We are based in North Kingstown, RI and plan to keep the company there after YC.

Explain your decision regarding location.

North Kingstown gives us access to maritime testing grounds and a concentration of aerospace and marine engineering talent. It also lets us work closely with regulatory bodies relevant to our seaglider product.

21 more answers in the full application

Founders, Progress, Idea, Equity, Curious, Batch Preference are in the full version. Create a free account to open it in YC Insights, next to every other YC batch.

See full application

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this the real REGENT YC application?

No. Y Combinator keeps submitted applications private. This is a reconstruction: the real YC form questions, answered from REGENT's public data (launch notes, founder backgrounds, product description). It shows how a company like REGENT would present itself to YC, not the text they submitted.