Relay, an AI-driven workflow automation startup launched in 2021 with ambitions to rival Zapier, is shutting down its operations. The company announced that it will cut off access to its service for paying customers on September 14, while free users have already lost access as of August 15. This decision was initially revealed in July and marks the end of Relay's attempt to provide productivity upgrades by automating repetitive business tasks like document editing and project management workflows.

Jacob Bank, the founder and CEO of Relay, will be returning to Google, where he previously spent over six years, most notably leading products such as Gmail, Google Calendar, and Google Chat. Bank will now serve as Vice President of Product for Google Chrome, heading both product and developer relations teams. In statements shared on social media, he emphasized his continuous commitment to building AI tools that enhance productivity without compromising creativity, and expressed enthusiasm for applying this vision within the Chrome browser environment.

The former Relay team, including Bank, will join Google’s Chrome division, where ambitious plans to further integrate AI capabilities into the browser are in development. Google has already made significant strides in embedding its Gemini AI technology into Chrome and its search platform, offering users an AI-powered assistant within the browser. This integration follows broader industry trends of delivering AI-enhanced experiences directly where users work and collaborate.

Google’s recent announcement that Gemini has surpassed one billion users highlights the strong user interest in AI-driven products. While specific plans for Chrome remain under wraps, Bank described the browser as an ideal setting for deploying intelligent AI agents to help users accomplish tasks more efficiently. This strategic move brings the expertise cultivated at Relay into Google’s ecosystem, potentially accelerating innovation in AI-powered workflow automation within one of the most widely used web browsers worldwide.