Seven-figure round (exact amount undisclosed) · Other round · Fintech · Zurich, Switzerland
Zurich-based Relai has completed a seven-figure funding round whose exact amount and currency were not disclosed. The Bitcoin savings app first announced Swiss finance creator Fabio Marchesin as an investor on 2 September, then said on 21 September that the round was in the seven-figure range and valued the company at $90m. German author Marc Friedrich and existing VC investors also participated.
Relai says the capital will fund product improvements, a redesigned interface, work on AI and cybersecurity, and broader European expansion. The company reports more than 100,000 users and 620,000 app downloads. It also says its French subsidiary has held a MiCA authorisation from France's AMF since October 2025, giving the business a regulated route into the EU market.
From customers to investor-distributors
Marchesin and Friedrich were Relai users before investing. Marchesin, who was among the app's early customers, will advise on marketing and the company's positioning in Switzerland and Europe, while Friedrich will support brand-building in Germany. Their roles make this more than a conventional capital injection: Relai is bringing people with established finance audiences into its distribution strategy, while existing investors are renewing their backing.
The product is built around one-off and recurring Bitcoin purchases, with coins sent to a self-custodial wallet rather than held by Relai. In June, the company added a route for users to buy directly into compatible hardware wallets for both single orders and automated plans. That architecture targets savers who want a simpler buying workflow without surrendering control of their private keys.
Converting attention into regulated growth
Relai's creator-investor model could lower the cost of reaching German-speaking customers, but that is an inference, not a result the company has reported. Execution will depend on whether trusted audiences translate into funded accounts and durable savings-plan use, and whether the app can keep its self-custody experience straightforward as it adds features and enters more EU markets.
The company says the fresh funding will accelerate releases before year-end, including more savings-plan options and the new interface. That makes product delivery, rather than the headline valuation, the nearer-term test of the round: Relai must turn capital and audience access into a more useful app while operating across distinct Swiss and EU regulatory arrangements.
