Relay Automation Startup Shuts Down as Founder Joins Google Chrome

Relay automation platform closes after five years

Relay, an AI-powered workflow automation tool that launched in 2021 aiming to challenge Zapier's dominance, is shutting down permanently. The company announced paying customers will lose access on September 14, while free-tier users already lost service as of August 15.

Founder and CEO Jacob Bank disclosed the closure alongside news that he and other team members are joining Google's Chrome division. Bank will serve as VP of Product for Google Chrome, leading both product development and developer relations teams.

Return to Google after entrepreneurial stint

This marks Bank's second return to Google following startup acquisitions. He originally joined the tech giant in 2015 when Google acquired Timeful, his scheduling application. During his six-year tenure, Bank held product leadership roles across Gmail, Google Calendar, and Google Chat before departing to launch Relay.

Relay focused on business productivity through workflow automation, enabling companies to automate repetitive tasks including document drafting, copyediting, and project management workflows. The platform attempted to differentiate itself through AI-powered capabilities in a market already dominated by established players like Zapier and newer entrants including Make and n8n.

Chrome AI integration plans remain vague

Bank described Chrome as "a perfect place to collaborate with agents" in announcing his new role, though specific plans for AI integration remain undisclosed. He stated his career focus has been "building tools that help people get more done with AI, without sacrificing their personal creativity or insights."

Google has steadily expanded AI capabilities across its product suite. The company's Gemini AI assistant now functions as an optional in-browser tool within Chrome, while Gemini integration into search has fundamentally altered Google's interface. Google recently reported Gemini surpassed 1 billion users, suggesting user acceptance of these AI features.

Why it matters

Relay's shutdown illustrates the difficulty of competing in workflow automation against entrenched platforms with network effects and extensive integration libraries. The acquisition of talent rather than technology signals Google's interest in experienced product leaders who understand AI-assisted productivity rather than Relay's specific technical implementation. Bank's appointment to Chrome suggests Google views the browser as a strategic platform for AI agent interaction, potentially positioning Chrome as more than a web navigation tool and instead as an AI-powered work environment.

The details of Relay's closure and Bank's move to Google were first reported by TechCrunch.