Relay Shuts Down As Founder, Team Move To Google Chrome

Relay, the startup that built an AI-driven automation tool, will stop servicing customers next month as several employees — including founder Jacob Bank — join Google’s Chrome group. Paying customers will lose access on Sept. 14, the company said, after free accounts were disabled Aug. 15. The company first signaled the wind-down in July.

Launched in 2021 with ambitions to simplify repetitive office workflows, Relay offered businesses ways to automate routine tasks such as drafting text, reviewing content and coordinating small projects. The app pitched itself as an alternative to older automation platforms by tying large language models to everyday processes, but that effort will now come to an end as the team disperses.

Bank, who began his career back at Google after his earlier startup was acquired in 2015, confirmed he is returning to the company as vice president of product for Chrome. According to public profiles and posts he made online, he will oversee both product development and relations with external builders working on the browser. In his account of the move, Bank framed it as a chance to extend AI-powered productivity tools to a much broader audience.

At Google, Bank previously led work on productivity apps including the company’s mail and calendar products before leaving to start Relay. The transfer of talent is part of a wider pattern in which large platforms recruit small teams with specialized AI experience; several other Relay staff members are expected to join Chrome, the company said.

How the Chrome team will fold Relay’s automation know-how into the browser remains unclear. Chrome already contains optional AI features tied to Google’s Gemini models — available as an in‑browser assistant and woven into search — and Google has reported that Gemini’s user base has topped roughly one billion people. Still, engineers with hands-on automation experience could hasten development of browser-based assistants or developer tools that simplify repetitive technical and creative work.

Industry observers say the move underscores both opportunity and risk. One analyst noted that adding a small, experienced squad can speed product experimentation inside a massive company, but it also removes independent options for customers who relied on the startup’s service. Former Relay users now face migration choices and the practical task of replacing automations that will stop running after the shutdown dates.

Google and Relay did not immediately offer additional details about product plans or the number of employees making the switch. Bank indicated he will share more information about planned Chrome features in the months ahead, while Relay directed users to its shutdown timeline and support resources as the company winds down.