Relay Raises $36 Million to Turn the Frontline Radio Into an AI Assistant

In 1940, engineers at Motorola built the Handie-Talkie, a handheld two-way radio for the U.S. Army. Today, frontline workers such as hotel housekeepers, paper mill operators, and hospital transport techs still use radios in a similar manner. Despite advancements in technology, the push-to-talk button remains unchanged. Relay, a Raleigh, N.C. company, has raised $36 million in new funding led by International Paper, bringing its total capital raised to over $90 million.

The investment aims to transform the radio into an AI assistant without requiring workers to alter their routine.

The device, which can be worn during a shift and activated by pushing a button, transcribes, translates, routes, logs, and turns the spoken words into action. The $36 million round was significantly oversubscribed, with Cerity Partners Ventures joining as a new investor and G2 Venture Partners contributing more. Chris Chuang, Relay’s CEO and co-founder, emphasized the importance of aligning with leaders from the industries served, rather than just the capital raised.

Originally designed as a walkie-talkie for children, Relay has since found applications in enterprise software. The company's CEO explained that the product's simplicity and durability make it ideal for frontline workers who cannot be trained or rely on traditional digital tools. The main advantage of Relay lies in its ability to capture and utilize the spoken communication that often goes unnoticed and unrecorded in traditional enterprise systems.