Relay, the workflow-automation startup Jacob Bank founded in 2021, is shutting down: free-tier access ended August 15, 2026, and paid access ends September 14, 2026, with refunds. Bank has confirmed he is rejoining Google as VP of Product for Chrome, the company he first joined in 2015, with some Relay staff following him.
What Is Relay, and What Did It Do?
Jacob Bank founded Relay in 2021 as a no-code workflow-automation platform comparable to Zapier, letting users connect apps such as Gmail, Slack, and Google Sheets to automate repetitive tasks without writing codeCITE:E8.
What Is Relay's Shutdown Timeline?
Relay is closing in stages: free-tier access ended on August 15, 2026, and paid-customer access will end on September 14, 2026CITE:E1CITE:E4. Relay's own website first announced in late July 2026 that the company would stop accepting new sign-ups and free-tier upgradesCITE:E9. Paid subscribers can keep using the service without charge until the September 14 cutoff and will receive refundsCITE:E9.
| Date | Event |
|---|
| 2021 | Relay founded by Jacob BankCITE:E8 |
| 2015 | Bank joins Google after Timeful acquisitionCITE:E5 |
| Late July 2026 | Relay stops new sign-ups and free-tier upgradesCITE:E9 |
| Aug 15, 2026 | Free-tier access shut offCITE:E1CITE:E4CITE:E9 |
| Sep 14, 2026 | Paid-tier access ends; refunds issuedCITE:E1CITE:E4CITE:E9 |
What Is Jacob Bank's History With Google?
Jacob Bank previously worked at Google for a little over six years after the company acquired his prior startup, a scheduling app called Timeful, in 2015CITE:E5.
Why Is Jacob Bank Returning to Google, and What Is His New Role?
Bank has confirmed he is rejoining Google as Vice President of Product for Google Chrome, a role covering the product and developer-relations teamsCITE:E2. Bank announced the move on LinkedIn, stating that some Relay employees will join Google's Chrome division alongside himCITE:E7.
How Does This Connect to Google's Current AI Scale?
Google recently reported that Gemini has crested 1 billion users, a milestone disclosed around the same period as Bank's Chrome appointmentCITE:E3CITE:E6.
What This Means
Relay's closure and Bank's return to Google unfold against Google's disclosure that Gemini has crested 1 billion usersCITE:E3CITE:E6. Bank's new Chrome role reunites him with the company that acquired his previous startup, Timeful, in 2015CITE:E5, and multiple Relay employees are following him into Google's Chrome divisionCITE:E7. The shutdown timeline — from Relay's late-July halt on new sign-upsCITE:E9 to the September 14 refund deadlineCITE:E1CITE:E4 — closes out just as Bank's move to a Chrome team inside a billion-user AI operation becomes publicCITE:E2.
Author's Take・EffectStory 編輯部
Bank's return to Google is a rehire, not a talent-acquisition deal: Relay is shutting down entirely rather than being folded into Google, and only 'some' of its staff are following him into the Chrome division. That distinguishes this from a typical acqui-hire — Relay's paying customers get a refund and a September 14 cutoff, not a product migration path. The more telling detail is where Bank landed: Chrome's product and developer-relations teams, not Google's core Gemini organization, even as Google touts Gemini's 1-billion-user milestone in the same window. Whether Bank's automation background feeds into browser-level product features, or simply reflects a leadership restaffing at Chrome, is the thing to watch as Chrome's product team takes shape from here.