Cloud tech startup Relay lands $13M Series A funding to improve communication for frontline teams

One of the challenges facing frontline teams is the inability to quickly and easily communicate. Today, software is the driving force behind the majority of the workforce except for 55 million frontline team members who either lack access to communication tools or rely solely on walkie-talkies.

It’s against this backdrop that the Raleigh, North Carolina-based SaaS startup Relay is seeking to help frontline teams, which comprise 80% of the global workforce, to enhance their communication, elevate employee safety, and digitize their physical workflows to attain higher levels of efficiency and become more data-driven.

To further grow its operations, Relay announced today it has closed $13 million in a Series-A funding round backed by Sovereign’s Capital, Wind River Ventures, and existing shareholders. Relay will use the fresh capital infusion to continue accelerating its rapid growth rate, scale its team, “and support further product R&D innovation.”

Relay has grown exponentially in the past year. The demand for its platform has witnessed an unprecedented surge, with over 130% YoY revenue growth and the addition of renowned customers in frontline industries like Hospitality, Healthcare, and Facilities Management, among others.

Founded by Chris Chuang, Relay develops a communication solution that incorporates cellular push-to-talk, GPS tracking, panic button functionality, and software integration. Relay also helps frontline teams digitally transform their operations with the modern tools they need to be successful and the actionable real-time data they need to track performance and improve their operations.

“We are thrilled to partner with our investors to bring innovative solutions to frontline teams,” said Chris Chuang, CEO of Relay. “The need for digital transformation in frontline work has never been greater, especially with pervasive labor shortages and the lingering effects from the pandemic. This is the time for Relay to accelerate our vision of transforming frontline work by delivering innovative technology, designed specifically for the way frontline teams work and the unique challenges they face.”

Relay’s growth in the Hospitality industry is rapidly accelerating, with thousands of hotels and resorts across the United States relying on its top-tier safety and communication solutions for their teams.

By combining instantaneous communication with real-time indoor location data, Relay provides a solution that complies with the requisites of various states and brands, while also enabling staff members to promptly summon and efficiently coordinate help during unforeseen events. In a recent survey, 77% of customers attested to the fact that Relay has improved the overall safety of employees at their respective properties.

“What excites us most about Relay is how impactful their seemingly simple solution is for frontline teams. Their platform not only enables teams to communicate more efficiently but to collaborate more effectively as they unlock the data around personal job performance and accountability, overall team productivity, and reduction of operational bottlenecks. It’s clear to us why Relay’s key metrics around customers and revenue retention and expansion are well above industry norms,” said Stephen Mutz, Co-founder and CEO of Wind River Ventures.