Jacob Bank just landed a new job at Google Chrome. His old startup didn’t make it past the announcement. Relay built an AI assistant that did tasks for you. You didn’t need to set up strict step-by-step rules. Now it’s shutting down, and several staff, including CEO Jacob Bank, are joining Google’s Chrome team. Here’s what’s confirmed, what’s a guess, and what it means for customers.
Relay’s Shutdown, Explained
Relay’s shutdown was quiet. In July, the company told users the product was closing. OnAugust 17, TechCrunchreportedthat several Relay staff, including Bank, had joined Google’s Chrome team.
This was a talent hire, not an acquisition — Google didn’t buy Relay’s brand, software, or product. The company hasn’t said what it plans to build with the team.
Relay’s free tier lost access onAugust 15, 2026. Paying customers have untilSeptember 14to save their data and move elsewhere. Nobody at Relay or Google has explained why the shutdown happened. Right now, any talk about why it happened is just pure guessing. Relay launched in2021and opened to the public two years later. It raised around$8.1 millionfrom Khosla Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, Neo, BoxGroup, and SV Angel.
Jacob Bank’s Second Time at Google
Bank knows this company well, having built his career around Google’s productivity tools. Googlebought his scheduling app, Timeful, in 2015, folding its features into Calendar and Gmail. He then spent six years running product for Gmail, Calendar, and Chat, building tools likeSmart Reply. After that, he left to build Relay in 2021. He’s back now, running Chrome’s product and developer relations teams.
In a post on X, hesaidhis career focuses on building AI tools.The goal is to help people get more done without losing their judgment.He’s also called Chrome a good place to work with AI assistants — though that describes a direction, not a shipped product.
Why Chrome Needs Automation Talent
Bringing in an experienced automation team signals that Google seesautomated workflows as part of the browser’s future. Gemini already sits inside Search, Chrome, and Workspace, having recently passed 1 billion users. Google is also building toward“agentic”browsing. Its AI can navigate sites and complete multi-step tasks, rather than simply answering questions in a sidebar. Whether Chrome ends up competing directly withMicrosoft Copilotis a reasonable guess, not a confirmed plan.
That is the real problem for a startup:having more users always beats having a better product. Chrome is already installed on billions of devices. Google can simply ship an update, whereas Relay had to convince people to try something unfamiliar.
Much remains unknown. How many Relay employees are actually moving over? What happens to the rest of the team? Was this about Relay struggling, or just good timing? None of those answers are public yet.
What Happens to Relay Customers Now?
For affected users, this is less a personnel story and more a deadline. Workflows need rebuilding elsewherebefore September 14, which can get costly for businesses that depend on them. Anyone relying on an early-stage tool should check whether it supports data export. This matters before building critical workflows around it.Relay gave users a month to figure it out, but you definitely cannot expect to get that kind of warning every time.
The Bigger Picture for AI Automation
Relay is gone, but its team still has jobs. They moved to a platform that already has billions of users. If Chrome makes this a real feature, the automation could appear inside the browser people already use.That would be a very different path to scalethan asking users to discover and adopt another standalone automation tool.
What’s confirmed is still limited. Relay closed, Google hired some of its people, and Bank now leads product for Chrome. What happens next is still Google’s to announce.
What was Relay?
An AI-powered workflow tool built in 2021 as a smarter alternative to Zapier, usingAI agentsinstead of rigid triggers.
When did Relay shut down?
Free users lost access on August 15, 2026. Paid customers keep access until September 14, 2026, after which data is deleted.
Did Google buy Relay?
No. Google hired several employees, including Jacob Bank, but not the product, brand, or company.
What is Jacob Bank’s new role?
VP of Product for Google Chrome, overseeing product and developer relations, including how Chrome integrates AI agents.
Has Bank worked at Google before?
Yes. Google acquired his startup Timeful in 2015. He later led product for Gmail, Calendar, and Chat before starting Relay in 2021.
Why did Relay shut down?
No public reason has been given. Any “why” you read elsewhere is a guess.
What should Relay customers do?
Save their data and move to another platform before September 14.
