Fastlane’s founder, who posts as Gaurav on X, accused newly launched Relay of copying his AI marketing startup on 2 October. His post quoted Relay general manager Kailash Sarma’s launch announcement from the previous day, which said the business had raised $20 million.
Based on 6 primary sources · See sources
A launch meets a public challenge
Gaurav called Relay a “complete rip-off” of Fastlane and attached a video explaining his complaint. Marketer Fizz has not independently verified the copying allegation.
In a follow-up later that morning, he urged readers not to direct hate at Relay’s team. He said the video was intended to call out conduct he objected to and give a candid view of building a startup.
Fastlane’s founder sets out his allegation in a video responding to Relay’s launch.
View the original post on X ↗What Relay announced
Sarma’s launch pitch starts with a brand’s website: Relay creates content and, he said, distributes it through a network of 50,000 US creators. He named Google, Point72 and a Reddit founder as backers of the $20 million raise.
In a separate LinkedIn post introducing his role, Sarma identified GV and Point72 Ventures as backers. The funding amount and creator-network size are statements from Relay’s general manager; Marketer Fizz has not independently confirmed them. Gaurav’s description of a Google-led round goes further than Sarma’s launch post, which did not identify a lead investor.
Relay’s original launch post describes its content workflow, creator network and funding claim.
View the original post on X ↗Similar workflows, different distribution offers
Both public product pages describe turning a website into branded social content that users approve by swiping. Fastlane advertises scheduling to TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts and LinkedIn, alongside managed social accounts targeting US and EU markets.
Relay’s site currently focuses on generating posts and publishing approved content to a customer’s own TikTok account. Access to its creator network is listed on the Scale plan, with creator posts purchased separately. That distinction matters for brands assessing the distribution promise in the launch announcement.
The overlap in the advertised workflows provides context for the dispute, but does not establish that one company copied the other. Neither these product descriptions nor the funding claims resolve Gaurav’s allegation.
Sources
- Gaurav’s allegation about Relay
Gaurav / Fastlane · Announcement ·
- Relay launch announcement
Kailash Sarma / Relay · Announcement ·
- Gaurav’s follow-up clarification
Gaurav / Fastlane · Announcement ·
- Relay product and pricing
Relay · Documentation
- Fastlane product and publishing features
Fastlane · Documentation
- Kailash Sarma introduces his role at Relay
Kailash Sarma · Announcement
Written with AI assistance from the sources above. The marketing implications are our interpretation. Our editorial approach.
