Relay AI shuts down as founder Jacob Bank returns to Google to lead Chrome product
Former Timeful founder Jacob Bank rejoins Google as VP of Product for Chrome, tasked with integrating AI agents into the browser following the closure of his Relay venture.
AI workflow automation startup Relay has ceased operations, marking the end of a venture that sought to compete with Zapier by offering AI-powered productivity tools for businesses. The company’s closure was initially announced in July 2026, with free users losing access to the platform on 15 August and paying customers set to lose access on 14 September.
Founder and CEO Jacob Bank is rejoining Google as Vice President of Product for Chrome, where he will lead the product and developer relations teams. Bank, who previously spent over six years at the tech giant, will oversee efforts to integrate artificial intelligence into the Chrome browser experience.
Bank originally joined Google in 2015 after his earlier startup, a scheduling application called Timeful, was acquired by the company. During his first tenure, he served as product lead for several core services, including Gmail, Google Calendar, and Google Chat, before leaving to launch Relay in 2021.
Relay was designed to streamline repetitive business tasks such as document drafting, copyediting, and project management. In a statement on X, Bank described his return to Google as an opportunity to bring his experience in building AI tools to a broader audience, calling Chrome a “perfect place to collaborate with agents.”
The leadership change comes as Google continues to deepen its integration of AI across its ecosystem. The company recently reported that its Gemini model has surpassed 1 billion users, with the technology already functioning as an optional in-browser assistant within Chrome.
While specific details regarding how Bank and other staff plan to expand AI capabilities within the browser remain unclear, the move aligns with Google’s broader strategy to embed generative AI into its user interfaces. TechCrunch has reached out to both Google and Relay for further comment on the transition.
