Relay Ventures
Venture capitalToronto · Pre-Seed–Series A · 7 people tracked
Also known as RELAY VENTURES CANADA II INC.
Investment thesis
Relay Ventures invests in early-stage companies whose ideas challenge conventional wisdom and address significant pain points within large markets that have strong potential for rapid growth. It supports founders throughout the financing life of their companies, entering at the pre-seed and seed stages. The firm concentrates on two core themes: urbantech, encompassing software and hardware for autonomy, robotics, and mobility that assist people in daily life; and fintech, including digitally-forward solutions reshaping how money moves across insurance, wealth management, enterprise, and consumer banking. Its primary focus is on North America, and it is currently investing out of Relay Ventures V.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 27, 2026.
Team · 7 people
from public directories
Founder mafia
4 people who came through Relay Ventures went on to found or lead other companies.
What they invest in
from 53 of 58 portfolio companiesSaaS ×18AI & Machine Learning ×17PropTech ×10Fintech ×8Media & Entertainment ×8Consumer ×7Enterprise Software ×6Sports Tech ×6
HQs:United States×16Canada×15
Who they back
founder profiles across 18 portfolio companiesFounding team size:solo founder×132 founders×44+ founders×1
Investments · 58 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathBy year:2025 · 22024 · 22023 · 12022 · 12021 · 17 dated
teaBOT manufactures and operates a robotic tea-brewing machine offered as an amenity service to offices and showrooms across North America.
ConsumerEnterprise SoftwareFuture of WorkHardwareHR TechRoboticsWellness & FitnessToronto, CA
Rehman Merali(Founder)inChris Deutsch(Re-Founder)in
Co-investorsLofty VenturesY CombinatorInovia CapitalQualcomm VenturesGarage CapitalVenture Ontario
7shifts is a scheduling and payroll platform built for restaurant teams, offering an app and restaurant-specific tools to manage staff, reduce errors, and control labor costs.
FoodTechFuture of WorkHR TechSaaS
Jordan Boesch(Founder)inJohannes Lindenbaum(Founder)in
Co-investorsConexus Venture CapitalSoftBank Vision FundTandem CapitalTeamworthy VenturesEnlightened Hospitality Investments
ALT Sports Data builds data and betting-enablement products for combat sports leagues and sportsbooks, turning live fight data into regulated betting markets and fan engagement experiences.
Data & InfrastructureGamingSports TechCarlsbad, US
Todd Ballard(Executive Officer, Director)Joseph Dunnigan(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardJohn Albright(Director)in
Co-investorsMotley Fool VenturesScrum VenturesEberg CapitalGame Changers Ventures
Altrio provides AI-native software for commercial real estate investment teams, supporting acquisitions, asset management, capital raising, development, dispositions, lending, and portfolio management.
AI & Machine LearningFintechPropTechSaaS
Co-investorsAlate PartnersMantella Venture PartnersN49PPanache VenturesWhitecap Venture Partners
Bird operates a shared electric scooter and e-bike service designed to reduce car trips and emissions in urban environments across multiple continents.
CleantechMobility & TransportationSanta Monica, US
Co-investorsAccelAlate PartnersCanaan PartnersCoastCapComcast VenturesCraft Ventures+18 more
Blue Ant Media is an international media company that produces and distributes television and streaming content through eight free streaming channels and multiple pay TV broadcast channels in Canada.
ConsumerMedia & EntertainmentToronto, CA
Michael MacMillan(Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder)
Co-investorsKensington Capital Partners Limited
Blue J is an AI-powered platform providing tax research and analysis tools for tax professionals and accountants across North America and the UK.
AI & Machine LearningLegalTechSaaSToronto, CA
Benjamin Alarie(CEO)inAlbert Yoon(Co-founder)Anthony Niblett(Co-founder)
Co-investorsOak HC/FTSapphire VenturesCreative Destruction Lab (CDL)Intrepid Growth PartnersToronto Innovation Acceleration PartnersMistral Venture Partners
Cookin provides an all-in-one ecommerce platform for independent food entrepreneurs to build online storefronts, manage orders, and process payments.
Creator EconomyE-commerceFoodTechMarketplacesSaaSToronto, CA
Co-investorsCity Light
ecobee makes smart home devices including smart thermostats and cameras, along with its eco+ software that delivers energy savings and demand flexibility for the electricity grid.
CleantechConsumerEnergyHardwareIoTToronto, CA
Stuart Lombard(Executive Officer, Director)Jonathan Prosser(Executive Officer)Rajan Goel(Director)Deborah Merril(Director)Chris Carradine(Executive Officer)John Metselaar(Executive Officer)
Co-investorsEnergy Impact PartnersVenture OntarioAmazon Alexa Fund
Enthusiast Gaming operates a network of gaming-focused websites, YouTube channels, and online communities, reaching gaming audiences at scale.
GamingMedia & Entertainment
Eric Bernofsky(Executive Officer)Bryan Watson(Director)Alan Friedman(Director)Jason Nagy(Director)
BoardMeir Bulua(Director)inMenashe Kestenbaum(Executive Officer, Director)
Co-investorsClanton CapitalLeverageVC
FCTRY LAb is a Los Angeles studio and incubator that lets athletes, artists, and first-time builders design, prototype, and release their own custom sneakers.
ConsumerCreator EconomyHardwareLos Angeles, US
Omar Bailey(Founder)
Co-investorsFog City CapitalLevel One FundTime Zero CapitalElysian Park VenturesSlauson & Co.
Flash provides cloud-native software, hardware, and demand channels that connect parking asset owners, operators, and drivers, covering the full parking experience from finding and reserving to charging and payment.
Mobility & TransportationPropTechSaaSAustin, US
Dan Sharplin(Chairman)inChris Donus(CEO & President)inShannon Kennedy(Chief Human Resources Officer)inDan Roarty(Chief Digital Officer)inElliott DeLoach(Chief Financial Officer)inJim Zeitunian(Chief Technology Officer)in
Co-investorsL CattertonVista Equity PartnersAlate PartnersGeekdom
Friendlier provides businesses with reusable food and beverage containers through a return-and-reuse system, handling delivery, cleaning, and impact tracking.
Circular EconomyClimate TechNew Materials
GoodBuy Gear is an online marketplace selling quality-checked secondhand and open-box baby and kids' gear, including strollers, car seats, high chairs, carriers, and bassinets.
Circular EconomyE-commerceMarketplaces
Co-investorsAccess Venture PartnersInterlock PartnersAccess VenturesDenver VenturesKokopelli Capital
Greenlight offers a debit card and mobile app for children that enables parents to set spending limits, automate chores and allowance management, and monitor transactions in real-time.
ConsumerFintechAtlanta, US
Co-investorsAndreessen HorowitzCanapi VenturesCurql Collective, LLCEthos VCEvolution VC PartnersFin Capital+8 more
Home Team Network produces high-volume live sports broadcasts across multiple leagues and venues, offering tiered production packages (Basic, Standard, Premium) aimed at partners who need cost-efficient streaming at scale.
Media & EntertainmentSports Tech
Co-investorsRaven Capital
Intro is an online marketplace that enables users to book video consultations with in-demand experts across various fields such as interior design and entrepreneurship.
B2B MarketplacesConsumerMarketplaces
Raad Michael Mobrem(Founder)in
Co-investorsAndreessen HorowitzCrosscut VenturesJ17 CapitalLakeside CapitalNomad Venture Partners, LlcParade Ventures+7 more
Creator of the first programmatic radio advertising platform; acquired by iHeartMedia (NASDAQ: IHRT).
Kiip is a free case management platform designed for community programs and social service organizations to manage clients, documents, case notes, and referrals in a centralized system.
GovTechSaaS
Co-investorsAlleyCorpSorenson Impact FoundationAlley Robotics VenturesTrue Ventures
Kira Talent offers a holistic admissions platform for higher education programs, combining on-demand timed video and written assessments with structured live interview technology to help schools evaluate applicants' skills and traits.
EdTechSaaS
Emilie Cushman(Founder)
Co-investorsBisk VenturesETS Strategic CapitalVenture Ontario
League provides a platform for healthcare brands to deliver personalized, integrated consumer experiences through AI-based tools.
AI & Machine LearningDigital HealthHealthtech
Co-investorsOMERS VenturesQuantum Valley InvestmentsRBCxGame Changers VenturesScrum VenturesWorkday Ventures
Mainstay provides an AI-powered platform that enables higher education institutions to engage students through proactive, personalized coaching and messaging.
AI & Machine LearningEdTechSaaS
Drew MagliozziKirk Daulerio(Co-Founder, Vice President, Community)
Co-investorsBisk VenturesEastward Capital PartnersK Street CapitalECMC GroupInspired CapitalKhosla Ventures+1 more
Mantle provides a data infrastructure layer that turns fragmented documents, reports, and records about alternative assets into structured, verified data for AI-powered workflows and decisions.
AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureFintechToronto, CA
Amit Jethani(Founder)inDwayne Forde(Founder)
Co-investorsEniac VenturesGarage CapitalSierra VenturesTime Zero CapitalCraft VenturesLeaders Fund
Mave provides an AI marketing tool for real estate professionals that automatically gathers property and listing data and generates branded marketing content once a listing goes live.
AI & Machine LearningMarketing TechPropTech
Co-investorsAlate PartnersBlume VenturesClarim VenturesN49P
MobSquad provides technical consulting and staffing services to North American companies, leveraging access to top-tier technical talent based in Canada.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareFuture of WorkHR TechCalgary, CA
Irfhan Rawji(Founder & Executive Chair)
Co-investorsPanache Ventures
Mojio offers a hardware-agnostic connected car platform and branded mobile apps for automotive OEMs, supporting both embedded (TCU/CCU) and retrofit (OBD-II) telematics devices.
AI & Machine LearningIoTMobility & TransportationSaaSVancouver, CA
Jay GiraudNarayan SainaneyDavid ShoreKenny Hawk(CEO)Richard WoodruffOlivier(CFO)
Co-investors500 GlobalCerity Partners VenturesFuture Energy VenturesKensington Capital Partners Limited
Motra (formerly Train Fitness) provides automatic exercise tracking technology developed by scientists and engineers.
AI & Machine LearningHealthtechSports TechWellness & FitnessToronto, CA
Co-investorsBAM VenturesThe MBA Fund
Nymi develops wearable authentication devices and connected worker solutions for Industry 4.0 environments, using ECG-based biometric identification to enable secure, persistent access and digital interactions.
CybersecurityEnterprise SoftwareHardwareIoTToronto, CA
Karl MartinFoteini Agrafioti
Co-investorsFundersClubVenture OntarioRecruit Strategic PartnersSalesforce Ventures
Occupier provides lease administration software for commercial real estate teams at multi-location businesses, centralizing lease data, automating critical date alerts, and enabling real-time portfolio visibility.
Enterprise SoftwarePropTechSaaSBoston, US
Andrew Flint(Executive Officer, Director)Matt Giffune(Founder)in🏔 Erik Pearson(Founder)inBenjamin McGuinness(Executive Officer, Director)
Co-investorsAlate PartnersMetaPropMetaProp VenturesOMERS VenturesStage 2 Capital
Ownright provides an online platform for residential real estate closings, pairing a legal team with a client portal for document sharing, milestone tracking, and remote communication.
LegalTechPropTechSaaSToronto, CA
Robert Saunders(Founder)
Co-investorsAlate PartnersLegalTech
PadSplit is a U.S. coliving marketplace connecting property owners with renters seeking furnished private rooms on all-inclusive weekly terms.
PropTechAtlanta, US
Atticus LeBlanc(Executive Officer, Director)Kathryn Petralia(Director)
BoardArjan Schutte(Director)in
Co-investorsAlate PartnersBase Venture Management, Inc.Core Venture CapitalFlow CapitalKapor CapitalKern Venture Group+7 more
Sports gaming company incubated by Relay in 2020; acquired by Better Collective (STO: BETCO).
Populus provides data and software platforms that help cities manage mobility planning and decision-making.
Data & InfrastructureGovTechMobility & TransportationSan Francisco, US
Regina Clewlow(Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer)Fletcher Foti(Co-Founder, Chief Data Scientist)inRegina Clewlaw(Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer)
BoardCharles Hudson(Director)in
Co-investorsAmerican Family VenturesComcast VenturesMerian VenturesStorm VenturesUlu VenturesZero Infinity Partners+4 more
PressBox is an agentic platform for creating personalized, multi-modal content — including articles, images, audio, and video — around sports stories, games, and events.
AI & Machine LearningMedia & EntertainmentSports Tech
Promise Robotics offers an AI-powered, cloud-based offsite construction platform that converts builders' design files into manufacturing instructions, automating estimating, procurement, robotic framing, and onsite assembly for homebuilders.
Construction TechPropTechRoboticsToronto, CA
Ramtin Attar(Founder)
Co-investorsAlate PartnersHorizons VenturesMaRS Investment Accelerator Fund (IAF)Radical Ventures
Co-investorsAlate PartnersNine Four VenturesWilshire Lane Capital
Prove offers a business onboarding and verification solution that reduces manual input by validating business entities, EIN/TIN, and documents while connecting an individual applicant to a business through mobile device and phone number authentication.
CybersecurityFintechSaaS
Co-investorsMassMutual VenturesOak HC/FTRRE VenturesStack CapitalSandbox Industries
Outsourced Internet infrastructure provider in Canada; went public on the Toronto Stock Exchange (ticker Q).
Co-investorsABRY Partners
Mobile media/entertainment company backed from its seed round; acquired by Madison Dearborn Partners.
Rally is an investment platform that lets people buy and sell equity shares in collectible assets, which are securitized into individual companies and offered as shares through registered broker dealers.
FintechMarketplacesNew York City, US
Maximilian Niederste-Ostholt(Founder)
Co-investorsAccelAnthemis VentureKDDI Open Innovation FundRaptor GroupRed Beard VenturesUpfront Ventures+2 more
PubNub provides a platform for building real-time interactive applications with messaging, presence detection, and edge computing capabilities.
Cloud ComputingData & InfrastructureDeveloper ToolsIoTSan Francisco, US
Stephen Blum(Founder)in
Co-investorsBosch VenturesRobert Bosch Venture CapitalSapphire VenturesStreamlined Ventures
Scanadu is a medical content and research provider offering health education, product reviews, and guides focused on fitness, wellness, CBD therapies, and medical innovations.
Digital HealthHealthtechWellness & FitnessMoffett Field, US
Bob Gardner(Executive Officer)Jamie Tenedorio(Executive Officer)Daya Ranamukhaarachchi(Executive Officer)Jackie Schneider(Executive Officer)
BoardWalter De Brouwer(Executive Officer, Director)Sam De Brouwer(Executive Officer)in
Co-investorsVTF CapitalAME Cloud VenturesClaritas CapitalFosun InternationaliGlobe PartnersREDMILE+1 more
Sherpa provides an automated eVisa application processing platform for travel brands, enabling them to offer digital visa services to customers as an ancillary revenue stream.
FintechSaaSTravel & HospitalityUnknown - not stated on this page
Co-investorsTSVCActivant CapitalDN Capital
Swift HealX is an FDA-registered adhesive calibrant used alongside the Swift app to standardize wound photography by accounting for size, lighting, and color variations.
AI & Machine LearningDigital HealthHealthtechMedical DevicesSaaS
Co-investorsClaritas CapitalDCVC (Data Collective)Graphite VenturesVenture Ontario
System is a Public Benefit Corporation building a systems-based architecture to organize the world's interconnected knowledge, powered by AI, for decision-making and resource allocation across health, climate, economy, and security sectors.
AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureHealthtechSector AgnosticNew York, US
Adam Bly(Executive Officer, Director)in
BoardJosh Wolfe(Director)Asad Khaliq(Director)in
Co-investorsAcrew CapitalAlpha Wave GlobalValia VenturesGame Changers VenturesScrum Ventures
The Logic is Canada's independent business and technology news organization providing subscribers with in-depth reporting on businesses, people and policies.
Media & EntertainmentToronto, CA
David Skok(Founder)Jenna Zuschlag Misenerin
Co-investorsRoynat Capital Inc.
theScore is a sports media platform delivering real-time scores, news, statistics, and analysis across major professional and college sports leagues.
ConsumerMedia & EntertainmentSports TechToronto
John Levy(Executive Officer, Director)Benjamin Levy(Executive Officer)Ralph McLean(Executive Officer)Lorry Schneider(Executive Officer)
BoardJohn Albright(Director)Mark Scholes(Director)
Co-investorsVenture Ontario
TouchBistro is an all-in-one POS and restaurant management system that provides restaurateurs with payment processing, online ordering, reservations, and related tools.
FoodTechRetail TechSaaS
Co-investorsFrancisco PartnersKensington Capital Partners LimitedOMERS VenturesRound13 CapitalVenture Ontario
Trusty operates a network that connects real estate agents with unlisted properties and potential buyers, enabling off-market deals between homeowners and agent-facilitated transactions.
MarketplacesPropTechSan Francisco, US
Tim Hyer(Founder)inNicholas Meyers(Founder)in
Co-investorsY Combinator
Tynker is a digital learning platform providing coding curriculum and courses for children through schools and parents.
AI & Machine LearningEdTechChicago, US
Kelvin ChongKrishna VedatiinSrinivas Mandyam
Co-investors500 GlobalDentsu VenturesFelicis VenturesGSV VenturesNew Ground VenturesPrime Partners+2 more
UJET provides contact center software that integrates with Microsoft Teams, enabling customer service agents to collaborate with internal experts and efficiently resolve customer issues through streamlined workflows and real-time communication.
AI & Machine LearningCloud ComputingEnterprise SoftwareFuture of WorkSaaSSan Francisco, US
Vasili Triantin
Co-investorsDCM VenturesResolute VenturesSapphire VenturesCiti VenturesDCMEricsson Ventures+2 more
Veecle provides an API and MCP layer that lets AI agents build, run, and test firmware on virtual instances of real target chips, along with hardware knowledge and simulations.
AI & Machine LearningDeveloper ToolsSemiconductors
Co-investorsF-LOG VenturesTrucks VC
VendorPM provides an all-in-one vendor management platform that combines AI tools with human support for property managers and their vendors.
AI & Machine LearningPropTechSaaS
Emiel B.(Founder)in
Co-investorsAlate PartnersBessemer Venture PartnersMucker CapitalNavitas CapitalPrudence
A U.S. software provider serving commercial real estate professionals with a leasing and asset management platform.
PropTech
Nick Romito(Founder)inBrandon WeberDonald DeSantisKarl BaumRyan Masiello
Co-investors500 GlobalAlate PartnersBessemer Venture PartnersBling CapitalCamber CreekOpenView Venture Partners+7 more
Trusty provides advisors with a platform to capture and organize a family's assets, plans, relationships, and personal stories alongside financial documents, enabling deeper client relationships across generations.
Enterprise SoftwareFintechSaaS
Randy Frisch(Founder & CEO)
Woveo is an AI-powered fintech platform that helps financial institutions and community organizations extend affordable credit to credit-invisible and underserved entrepreneurs and small businesses.
AI & Machine LearningFintechImpact & Social Good
Jonah Chininga(CEO)inSergio Fernández(CTO)Maryheth Cabrera(COO/CPO)James Muhato(CSO)
Co-investorsConcrete VenturesIsland CapitalBKR Capital
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companies
Motra · motra.com · Aug 29, 2026
System Inc · natlawreview.com · Jul 17, 2026
ALT Sports Data · natlawreview.com · Jul 17, 2026
League · natlawreview.com · Jul 17, 2026
Greenlight · cuinsight.com · Jul 15, 2026
Touchbistro · betakit.com · Jul 13, 2026
Sherpa · finsmes.com · Jul 9, 2026
Frequently asked questions
- What stage does Relay Ventures invest at?
- Relay Ventures invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A stages.
- What is Relay Ventures's typical check size?
- Relay Ventures typically writes checks of $500K – $10M.
- What sectors does Relay Ventures focus on?
- Relay Ventures focuses on Data & Infrastructure, Enterprise Software, Fintech, Hardware, InsurTech, Media & Entertainment, Mobility & Transportation, PropTech, Robotics, SaaS, Sports Tech.
- Where is Relay Ventures located?
- Relay Ventures is headquartered in Toronto, CA.
- Does Relay Ventures lead rounds?
- Yes, Relay Ventures leads investment rounds.
Media · Podcasts & interviews
featuring the teamFounder-First VC: How Alex Baker Backs Grit Over Hype at Relay Ventures
AI InterConnect · Alex Baker
John Albright Partner at Relay Ventures | Investing in the Future of Sports, Gaming, and Media
Profluence Sports · John Albright
Persistence Pays - Alex Baker, Relay Ventures
Beyond Innovation TV · Alex Baker
Alex Baker: Trends in Venture Capital | Relay Ventures Portfolio Day 2018
Relay Ventures · Alex Baker
Dentons' Fire Escape Chats: A Silicon Valley State of Mind - Kevin Talbot, Relay Ventures
Dentons · Kevin Talbot
John Albright, Relay Ventures & John Levy, theScore Inc.
Ted Rogers School of Management · John Albright
Co-investors · 64
Alate Partners is an early-stage venture capital fund focused on real estate technology, backing founders building transformational technology for the built world.
Sapphire Ventures partners with expansion-stage enterprise software companies aiming to become category leaders.
OMERS Ventures is a venture capital firm that invests in founders globally, with investment teams based in New York, Palo Alto, and Toronto.
RRE Ventures is a boutique early-stage venture capital firm that backs founders across sectors, combining decades of experience with AI-driven analysis throughout the investment lifecycle.
True Ventures is a venture capital firm established in 2005 that focuses on early-stage technology companies, with operations based in Silicon Valley.
Eniac Ventures partners with early-stage founders, backing companies from 0 to 1.
Streamlined Ventures is an early-stage venture firm that partners with founders and invests at the seed stage to help build large-scale companies.
Sierra Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm that invests in first-principles founders, backing companies from inception through Series A across AI infrastructure, applied/vertical AI, deep tech, and physical/embodied AI.
Energy Impact Partners is an investment firm that connects entrepreneurs with major corporate partners to help drive the transformation of the global economy toward a more sustainable future.
Reach Capital is an early-stage venture firm that partners with founders building companies in learning, health, and work.
Storm Ventures is a venture capital firm founded in 2000 that invests in internet infrastructure and optical networking companies, with a focus on bandwidth creation, wireless infrastructure, and managed services.
▶52 more co-investors
Parade VenturesAmazon Alexa FundSandbox IndustriesMotley Fool VenturesFuture Energy VenturesSequoia CapitalAlumni VenturesBenchmarkFirst Round CapitalCoatue ManagementBattery VenturesQuiet CapitalSusa VenturesGoat CapitalOffline VenturesMayfield FundUpHonest CapitalForerunner VenturesScale Venture PartnersAmplify PartnersFloodgateBullpen CapitalIA VenturesRevolutionHarrison MetalHanabi CapitalAccompliceWingTransmedia CapitalUpside PartnershipAmerican Express Ventures (Amex)Nyca PartnersAmadeus Capital PartnersRecursive VenturesBDC Venture CapitalGutter CapitalXfundMiramar Venture PartnersS3 VenturesXplorer CapitalTuesday CapitalClearvision VenturesLifeX VenturesEnergy Capital VenturesEarly Light VenturesThe E14 FundFramework Venture PartnersRPM VenturesMonta Vista CapitalR-Squared VenturesSoftBank GroupEdsby
Firms observed investing alongside Relay Ventures, from public investor directories. Shared companies are the overlap with Relay Ventures's recorded portfolio.
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