{"version":1,"type":"story","url":"https://digestai.news/story/relay-raises-36m-to-add-ai-to-smart-radios-for-frontline-workers","json":"https://digestai.news/story/relay-raises-36m-to-add-ai-to-smart-radios-for-frontline-workers.json","markdown":"https://digestai.news/story/relay-raises-36m-to-add-ai-to-smart-radios-for-frontline-workers.md","slug":"relay-raises-36m-to-add-ai-to-smart-radios-for-frontline-workers","headline":"Relay raises $36M to add AI to smart radios for frontline workers","summary":"Relay Inc., a developer of cloud-hosted smart radios for frontline workers, has raised $36 million in new funding. This round brings the company's total capital raised to over $90 million. The investment was led by International Paper Co., with participation from Cerity Partners Ventures and existing backer G2 Ventures.\n\nThe company aims to solve what CEO Chris Chuang calls \"signal evaporation,\" where valuable operational data spoken over radios is lost because workers are too busy to log it manually. Relay’s AI system captures these voice communications in real time, converting them into structured data that can be queried and integrated into operational workflows. The system is trained on industry-specific jargon to accurately identify issues, such as equipment failures, and can automatically generate work orders.\n\nRelay also offers a feature called TeamTranslate, which provides real-time voice translation in more than 30 languages to help multilingual teams communicate. The company plans to use the new funds to accelerate AI development, improve worker safety systems, and expand into industrial and hospitality sectors. International Paper, a major customer, cited the technology's ability to improve shift transitions and connect frontline insights to operational systems as the reason for leading the round.","keyPoints":["Relay raised $36M led by International Paper, bringing total funding to over $90 million.","The AI system converts radio voice communications into structured data to prevent lost operational information.","TeamTranslate offers real-time voice translation in more than 30 languages for frontline teams."],"whyItMatters":"This addresses a significant gap in enterprise data capture by digitizing unstructured voice communications from non-desk workers, potentially reducing operational downtime and improving safety in industrial and service sectors.","category":{"slug":"business","name":"Business & Funding","url":"https://digestai.news/category/business"},"entities":{"companies":["Relay Inc.","International Paper Co.","Cerity Partners Ventures","G2 Ventures"],"models":[],"people":["Chris Chuang","Keith Townsend"]},"firstPublishedAt":"2026-10-03T05:55:57Z","updatedAt":"2026-10-03T05:55:57Z","sourceCount":1,"hasPrimarySource":false,"sources":[{"outlet":"siliconangle.com","title":"Relay, which develops cloud-hosted, AI-powered smart radio communicators for frontline workers, raised $36M to help businesses capture \"frontline intelligence\"","url":"https://siliconangle.com/2026/09/30/smart-radio-startup-relay-raises-36m-in-funding-to-help-businesses-capture-intelligence-from-frontline-workers","publishedAt":"2026-10-03T05:55:57Z","type":"press","primary":false,"lead":true}],"sourceNotes":null,"discussions":[],"thread":null,"cite":{"text":"Digest AI, \"Relay raises $36M to add AI to smart radios for frontline workers\", 3 October 2026, https://digestai.news/story/relay-raises-36m-to-add-ai-to-smart-radios-for-frontline-workers","publisher":"Digest AI","title":"Relay raises $36M to add AI to smart radios for frontline workers","datePublished":"2026-10-03T05:55:57Z","url":"https://digestai.news/story/relay-raises-36m-to-add-ai-to-smart-radios-for-frontline-workers"},"generatedBy":"Written by Digest AI's editorial model from the linked sources; the sources are the record.","license":"Headlines, digests and key points are written by Digest AI and may be quoted with a link to the story page. Linked articles belong to their publishers. Terms: https://digestai.news/terms#reuse"}