Relay Workflow Automation Tool to Cease Operations; CEO Joins Google Chrome Team

Relay, an AI-powered workflow automation tool launched in 2021, is shutting down, with its founder and CEO Jacob Bank transitioning to a leadership role in Google’s Chrome team. The announcement of Relay’s closure was made on Monday, stating that paying customers will lose access on September 14, while free users had already been cut off as of August 15. The app’s impending shutdown was initially revealed in July.

Bank, who previously spent over six years at Google, will assume the position of Vice President of Product for Google Chrome, where he will oversee product and developer relations teams. In a post on social media platform X, Bank articulated, “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. Joining the Chrome team is an ideal opportunity to bring those experiences to many, many more people.” He further added that ambitious plans are in place to enhance productivity using AI within Chrome, promising more details to come.

Before founding Relay, Bank worked at Google after the acquisition of his scheduling app Timeful in 2015. During his tenure at Google, he held various roles, including product lead for Gmail, Google Calendar, and Google Chat.

Similar to Timeful, Relay aimed to boost productivity through workflow automation, helping businesses simplify repetitive tasks such as document drafting and project management. TechCrunch has reached out to both Google and Relay for further information on the transition.

The integration of AI tools into Google’s user experience has been a consistent trend, highlighted by the rollout of Gemini in search and its recent addition to Chrome as an optional in-browser assistant. According to Google, Gemini has surpassed 1 billion users, indicating a positive reception to these innovations.