A Bet on Asynchronous Exchange

Why We’re Betting on Asynchronous Exchange

When most people think of logistics, they think of trucks, warehouses, or shipping lanes. But some of the most meaningful exchanges do not happen at a global scale. They happen across neighborhoods, between small businesses and their customers, mutual aid organizers and their communities, or even two neighbors coordinating a drop-off.

At Relai, we are building for this kind of movement. We believe the future of it will be asynchronous.

The access problem

In cities across the country, the challenge is not just moving goods. It is aligning people. Business hours. Traffic. Entry codes. Staffing. Everything depends on real-time coordination. That dependency slows things down or locks people out entirely.

This is especially true for communities that already face barriers to access. Whether you are a nonprofit operating without a storefront or a customer in a neighborhood where same-day delivery is not an option, timing becomes a bottleneck.

Relai’s core insight is simple: if we can decouple time and access, we can open more doors for more people.

The case for asynchronous infrastructure

Asynchronous exchange is about enabling people to send, receive, or retrieve items without needing to be in the same place at the same time. It makes a drop-off at midnight or a pick-up before work possible. With the right infrastructure in place, it becomes more secure, more consistent, and more inclusive.

Exchange Zones are our contribution to this future. They are secure, location-based touchpoints that let people interact with physical items on their own schedule. Businesses can operate without extra labor costs. Community groups can reach people they could not reach before. Customers do not have to rearrange their day just to receive something they have already paid for.

It is a shift from transaction windows to access windows. That small difference creates a big opportunity.

From micro-logistics to macro impact

What is often dismissed as the last mile is where the real opportunity lies. Micro-logistics, meaning how things move across a city block, a bike route, or a neighborhood, is where systems either serve people or do not.

Making these small exchanges more fluid reshapes how local economies function. It supports new service models. It strengthens informal systems like mutual aid. All of this can happen without requiring large physical footprints or constant human staffing.

Automation plays a key role. PORTAL, our operator dashboard, helps partners manage Exchange Zones remotely. Relai Apps give builders the ability to create new workflows using our infrastructure. These tools are making access programmable instead of rigid.

A bet on behavior

Asynchronous exchange is not just a technical solution. It reflects how people actually want to live and work. It supports those who value flexibility, autonomy, and time.

It is also a bet on equity. Better access should not depend on being available at the right time.

We are still early in this journey. But we believe the future of movement is hyperlocal, asynchronous, and open. We are building toward that future one Exchange Zone at a time.