AI automation startup Relay shuts down as founder and staff join Google Chrome team

AI workflow automation startup Relay is shutting down, with free access terminated on August 15, 2026, and paid access ending on September 14, 2026. Relay founder and CEO Jacob Bank is rejoining Google as Vice President of Product for Google Chrome, leading product and developer relations alongside some of his former startup staff. The transition aims to bolster Google's ambitious plans to integrate advanced AI automation and agentic capabilities directly into the Chrome browser.

Relay shutdown timeline

• ▪Relay first announced its decision to shut down the application in July 2026.
• ▪The AI-powered workflow automation startup Relay is shutting down its application and winding down its services.
• ▪Relay terminated access for free customers on August 15, 2026, and will shut down access for paying customers on September 14, 2026.

Google Chrome acqui-hire

• ▪Relay founder and CEO Jacob Bank, along with some of the startup's staff, are joining Google's Chrome team.
• ▪Jacob Bank is rejoining Google as Vice President of Product for Google Chrome, where he will lead the product and developer relations teams.

Jacob Bank career history

• ▪Jacob Bank previously worked at Google for over six years after Google acquired his scheduling startup, Timeful, in 2015.
• ▪During his previous tenure at Google, Jacob Bank worked as a product lead for Gmail, Google Calendar, and Google Chat.

Workflow automation platform features

• ▪Relay was launched in 2021 with the goal of becoming an alternative to the workflow automation platform Zapier.
• ▪Relay offered AI-powered workflow automation tools to help businesses streamline repetitive tasks like document drafting, copyediting, and project management.

Chrome AI integration plans

• ▪Jacob Bank characterized Google Chrome as a perfect environment for collaborating with AI agents.
• ▪Jacob Bank stated that the Google Chrome team has ambitious plans to help users work with AI in Chrome to complete tasks.

Gemini product expansion

• ▪Google reported in August 2026 that its Gemini application had surpassed 1 billion users.
• ▪Google has integrated its Gemini AI model into the Chrome browser, where it operates as an optional in-browser assistant.