AI automation startup Relay shuts down, staff joins Chrome
Relay AI workflow automation tool shuts down with paid access ending September 14, as founder Jacob Bank joins Google Chrome team as VP.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- AI startup Relay shuts down after launching back in 2021
- Paid customer access ends on September 14, free access ended August 15
- Founder and CEO Jacob Bank rejoins Google as Chrome Product VP
The tech ecosystem witnesses another major startup wind-down as Relay, an AI-powered workflow automation tool founded in 2021 with aspirations of becoming a modern Zapier alternative, officially shuts down. A portion of its staff, including its top executive leadership, is transitioning over to Google’s Chrome team.
Jacob Bank, the founder and CEO of Relay, shared the company shutdown news on a Monday company announcement, revealing that the application will terminate access for paying subscribers on September 14. Free-tier users had already lost access earlier on August 15, following initial closure announcements made back in July.
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Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
For Bank, this transition marks a return to the tech giant where he previously spent a little over six years. According to his LinkedIn profile, he is rejoining Google as the VP of Product for Google Chrome, where he will spearhead both the product and developer relations teams for the web browser division.
"We have some really ambitious plans to help you work with AI in Chrome to get things done, and I’ll have more to share soon."
Jacob Bank
Bank's history with Google dates back to 2015 when the search giant acquired his previous scheduling app startup, Timeful. During his initial tenure at Google, he managed various portfolios including product lead roles for Gmail, Google Calendar, and Google Chat, before eventually departing to establish Relay.
Bringing in a seasoned productivity startup founder to lead Chrome product development signals Google's broader ambition to transform web browsers from simple document-rendering windows into active agent-driven workspaces. This executive shift aligns with the company's aggressive integration of Gemini AI across its entire ecosystem.
Similar to the foundational ethos of Timeful, Relay provided users with productivity enhancements through robust workflow automation, enabling businesses to streamline repetitive operations such as document drafting, copyediting, and various project management duties. TechCrunch reached out to both Google and Relay seeking additional details.
Exact specifics on how Bank and his colleagues plan to weave further AI capabilities into Chrome remain under wraps, though Bank previously described Chrome as "a perfect place to collaborate with agents." This move mirrors Google's broader integration trajectory, such as embedding Gemini into search front-ends and offering Gemini as an optional in-browser assistant within Chrome.
Overall user reception toward these AI features appears positive, with Google recently disclosing that Gemini has surpassed the milestone of 1 billion users.
Source: TechCrunch
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