AI Automation Startup Relay Shuts Down — Team Moves Inside Google Chrome
The short answer
Relay, which built AI-powered workflow automation for business teams, is closing and its staff is joining Google's Chrome division, where the founder hints at AI automation features built directly into the browser. If your team uses Relay for automation, contact Relay directly about data export and service cutoff dates — that information was not included in available reporting.
- automation
- workflow
- Chrome
- Relay
What happened
Relay, an AI automation startup that let teams build and run multi-step workflows across business apps, has shut down. According to TechCrunch, the company's full staff is moving to Google's Chrome team.
Relay founder and CEO Jacob Bank issued a brief statement: "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." No launch timeline, feature names, or specifics were disclosed beyond that.
What it means for your business
If your team uses Relay for automation, contact Relay directly about data export and service cutoff dates — that information was not included in available reporting. Alternatives in the workflow automation category include Zapier, Make, and n8n, all of which connect similar business apps with trigger-and-action logic. For businesses not on Relay, the more significant signal is forward-looking: a team with direct experience building AI-powered automation is now embedded inside Chrome, the browser most business teams use daily. If that results in native AI automation features in Chrome, it could make workflow automation accessible without a separate subscription or technical setup. Watch for Chrome product announcements in the months ahead.
Source: TechCrunch