Yamato Holdings have made an investment in Regent Craft Inc. (REGENT) from KURONEKO Innovation Fund.
REGENT is a US-based start-up that is developing an electric seaglider which flies a few meters above the surface of water.
Seagliders are being developed as a new means of passenger and cargo transportation that can fly safely, quickly and at low cost between coastal cities.
REGENT’s seaglider extends a hydrofoil from the lower part of the fuselage when taking off from and landing on the water surface, enabling stable low-speed flight with little vibration. Furthermore, it’s an environmentally friendly vehicle since, being battery powered, it doesn’t emit CO2 during flight.
In 2022, REGENT successfully carried out unmanned flights of a seaglider with a wingspan of approx. 5 meters (*2), and is currently moving forward with development aimed at manned flights.
The decision to invest in REGENT was based on our evaluation of REGENT’s high technological capabilities and competitive advantage. By incorporating REGENT into the KURONEKO Innovation Fund portfolio, we will gain a deeper knowledge of mobility that’s likely to become a new means of transportation, and work to upgrade our logistics networks.
*1 Classified as a wing-in-ground (WIG) effect vehicle that flies a few meters above the surface of water, taking advantage of the phenomenon of increased lift received by the wing near the surface of the ground or water (the ground effect).
*2 Quarter-scale of the vehicle being developed