About Relay
Relay is a Telecommunications company based in Toronto (Canada) founded in 2012, and was acquired by Kik in November 2014. Animated content is shared through iOS mobile messaging. Relay has raised $700 thousand across 1 funding round from investors including Kik, Social Capital and Graph Ventures. Its focus areas include Consumer, Communication Apps, Messaging and Generic.
Company details
Relay was founded in 2012 in Toronto, Canada, as an iOS-only app focused on rich media mobile messaging. Animated content from personal galleries or web searches is shared among users, while web page URLs are displayed with preview images and headlines. Asynchronous communication is supported, with real-time indicators showing when contacts view videos or images simultaneously. Operations center on enhancing media sharing in the mobile sector.
Funding Insights of Relay
Relay has successfully raised a total of $700K through 1 strategic funding round. The most recent funding activity was a Seed round of $700 thousand completed in February 2013. This substantial capital infusion reflects strong investor confidence in the company's business model, growth potential, and market opportunities. The funding enables strategic expansion, product development, market penetration, and operational scaling to drive long-term value creation and competitive advantage.
- Total Funding $700,000
- Total Rounds 1
- Last Round Seed — $700,000
- First Round $700,000
(Feb 2013)
- Investors Count 4
All 1 funding rounds of Relay with amounts and investors; the two latest post-money valuations are shown, the rest are part of the premium plan.
| Date | Amount | Transaction Name | Valuation | Lead Investors | Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 2013 | $700,000 | Seed | – | – |
5 investors in total: 5 institutional.
Investors in Relay
Relay has secured backing from 5 investors, including venture fund investors. Prominent investors backing the company include Kik, Social Capital and Graph Ventures.
| Investor | Description | Founded Year | Domain | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Early-stage venture capital funding is provided to startup founders. | graphventures.com | San Francisco, United States | ||
Early-stage venture capital is provided to Canadian technology startups by Real Ventures. | realventures.com | Montreal, Canada | ||
US focused VC firm investing in seed & growth stage companies | 2011 | socialcapital.com | Menlo Park, United States | |
Global investments in tech sectors are conducted by Valar Ventures. | valar.com | New York, United States | ||
Multimedia messaging is enabled by Kik for mobile users. | 2009 | kik.com | Santa Monica, United States |
Investor details for Relay
The complete investor list, round-by-round participation and investor portfolios require an active premium plan.
- Complete investor list
- Round participation
- Investor portfolios
- Co-investor network
Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
Timeline of Relay
3 dated milestones of Relay across 2 years, from founding to its latest funding, stage changes and deals.
- Founded Relay is founded.
- Funding First funding round of $700K.
- Exit Acquired by Kik.
Web traffic of Relay
Websites that share an audience with Relay (relay.im).
Websites whose visitors overlap most with Relay. Affinity shows how closely the audiences match.
| Website | Domain | Audience affinity | Monthly visits | Global rank | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
therelay.com | therelay.com | 100% | #12,779,285 | – | |
en.wikipedia.org | en.wikipedia.org | 96% | – | ||
| tomsguide.com | 69% | 27.6M | #2,894 | View details |
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Related news about Relay
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Frequently Asked Questions about Relay
Relay was founded in 2012 and raised its 1st funding round 1 year after it was founded.
Relay is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. It is registered at Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Relay is a funded company, having raised a total of $700K across 1 funding round to date. The company's 1st funding round was a Seed of $700K, raised on Feb 2013.
Relay was founded in 2012 in Toronto, Canada, as an iOS-only app focused on rich media mobile messaging. Animated content from personal galleries or web searches is shared among users, while web page URLs are displayed with preview images and headlines. Asynchronous communication is supported, with real-time indicators showing when contacts view videos or images simultaneously. Operations center on enhancing media sharing in the mobile sector.
Relay has 5 investors. Key investors include Kik, Social Capital, Graph Ventures, Real Ventures, and Valar Ventures.
Yes. Relay was acquired by Kik in November 2014.