Relay shuts down workflow automation services as its team joins Chrome to lead AI agents

Relay, an AI workflow automation startup, has announced the permanent shutdown of its platform, with its executive and technical team, led by founder and CEO Jacob Bank, joining Google to work on the Chrome browser team. The move follows an effort launched in 2021 to compete with traditional automation platforms and offer an advanced alternative to tools like Zapier, ending with an acqui-hire that directs automation expertise straight into the browsing environment.

The company outlined a timeline for winding down operations, ending access for free users by mid-August 2026, following an initial closure announcement in July, while paid subscriber accounts will shut down entirely on September 14, 2026. The shutdown marks the end of a standalone business model focused on upgrading enterprise productivity by handling repetitive tasks, such as drafting documents, editing, and managing day-to-day work projects using AI algorithms.

The Relay team's move to Chrome brings Jacob Bank back to Google as Vice President of Product for the browser.Bank will lead product and developer relations teams at Chrome, drawing on more than six years of prior experience at the search giant, which began after Google acquired his previous scheduling startup, Timeful, in 2015. During his earlier tenure, Bank led major products including Gmail, Google Calendar, and Google Chat, before leaving to found Relay.

Bank stated on X that his career has centered on building tools that help users get work done with AI without sacrificing their creativity or personal vision, noting that joining the Chrome team offers an opportunity to bring these experiences to a far broader user base. He pointed to ambitious plans to help users accomplish work through AI directly within the browser, describing the Chrome environment as an ideal surface for collaborating and interacting with intelligent agents.

The move aligns with Google's strategy to integrate generative AI into the daily user experience.The integration of the Gemini model into Google Search has reshaped the service's front end and how information is retrieved online, while the model has also been embedded into Chrome to act as an optional assistant during browsing. Company data indicates that Gemini has reached a user base of one billion, making the integration of workflow automation into the core of the browser a step toward expanding digital assistants from answering questions to managing and executing work directly within web pages.