AI Automation Startup Relay Shuts Down, Founder Joins Google Chrome Team

Relay, an AI-powered workflow automation platform launched in 2021 with the ambition of becoming the next Zapier, is officially winding down operations. The company’s founder and CEO, Jacob Bank, announced on Monday that paying customers will lose access to the app on September 14, while free users were already cut off as of August 15. The closure was first disclosed in July.

Founder Returns to Google

Bank, who previously spent over six years at Google, revealed that he is rejoining the tech giant as VP of Product for Google Chrome. In this role, he will lead the product and developer relations teams for Chrome, according to his LinkedIn profile.

In a post on X, Bank expressed enthusiasm about the move, stating, “I’ve spent my whole career doing one thing: building tools that help people get more done with AI, without sacrificing their personal creativity or insights. And joining the Chrome team is an ideal opportunity to bring those experiences to many, many more people.” He also hinted at upcoming initiatives, adding, “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.”

Background and Career Path

Bank’s connection to Google dates back to 2015, when the search giant acquired his previous startup, Timeful, a scheduling application. At Google, he held various product leadership roles, including responsibilities for Gmail, Google Calendar, and Google Chat, before departing to found Relay.

Relay, much like Timeful, focused on boosting productivity through workflow automation. The platform enabled businesses to streamline repetitive tasks such as document drafting, copyediting, and various project management activities, positioning itself as a direct competitor to established tools like Zapier.

AI Integration into Chrome

While specific plans remain under wraps, Bank described Chrome as “a perfect place to collaborate with agents,” suggesting a deeper integration of AI into the browser. This move aligns with Google’s broader strategy of embedding AI across its products. The integration of Gemini into search has already transformed Google’s user experience, and Gemini is also available as an optional in-browser assistant within Chrome.

User response to these AI integrations has been positive, with Google recently reporting that Gemini surpassed 1 billion users.

TechCrunch has reached out to both Google and Relay for additional details on the transition and future developments.

#AI, #GoogleChrome, #WorkflowAutomation, #JacobBank, #TechNews