RelayFoods.com today announced it has secured a new round of $3.1 Million in funding from return investor Battery Ventures, a multi-stage investment firm focused on technology and innovation worldwide, and a group of other undisclosed investors. This round brings the total amount of funding Relay has raised to $5.5 Million. The company will use the capital to expand the business and fine-tune operations for an enhanced customer experience.

Relay began serving customers in 2009, selling groceries, specialty foods, and local farm products online in Charlottesville and Richmond, Va., via a unique pickup-and-delivery model.

"Relay is different than many of its predecessors because it eliminates the costly 'last mile,' delivering food from local farmers and merchants to customers at convenient area pickup sites," said Brian O'Malley, General Partner Battery Ventures. "With how much carnage there has been in this sector historically, we are very excited about Relay's near term profitability in each of the Company's core markets."

Relay Caters to Customers, Community and the Environment
Relay sells local products and goods from more than 100 unique local merchants, vendors and stores that partner with the company as an alternative distribution channel to expand the availability of their products. Customers choose from among the 20,000 or so local, organic and conventional product offerings online and then pick them up from one of Relay's sixty convenient locations. For a small fee, Relay will deliver to the customer's doorstep. Prices are competitive with traditional brick-and-mortar stores because Relay works directly with local farmers and local artisans.

"The continued support from Battery and the response we've received from new investors demonstrates confidence in our innovative model and our goal of transforming the way people buy groceries," said Zach Buckner, founder and CEO of Relay. "Our growth in local markets is increasing at a steady clip as customers continue to tell us how cost-effective and easy it is to support local businesses with Relay, and small business owners with a passion for healthy and great-tasting food see Relay as a low-risk way to attract new customers and grow their sales."

Storeowners and farmers value their partnerships with Relay because they can reach new consumers online, growing their customer base without having to buy land, build a new store, hire a new staff, and risk much money in the process.

Relay's operations are also designed to be easy on the environment, reducing the carbon footprint with fuel-efficient delivery trucks and short driving distances. Most food consumed today in the U.S. travels an average of 1,500 miles, but Relay makes it convenient to access foods grown and produced typically less than 100 miles away. A model of Relay built by MIT's Center for Transportation and Logistics completed in December 2010 suggests the company already is having a positive impact on greenhouse gas emissions in Charlottesville and Richmond.

About RelayFoods.com
The mission of RelayFoods.com is to make eating quality, healthy and sustainable food simple. Relay will accomplish its mission by educating individuals and families about the food they eat, creating connections between producers and end consumers and bringing food to easily accessible locations. Learn more at www.relayfoods.com.

About Battery Ventures
Since 1983, Battery has been investing in technology and innovation worldwide. The firm partners with entrepreneurs and management teams across technology sectors, geographies and stages of a company's life, from seed, start-up and expansion financing, to growth equity and buyouts.

Battery has supported many breakthrough companies around the world, including: Airespace (acquired by Cisco), Akamai Technologies (IPO), Angie's List (IPO), Anobit (acquired by Apple), Cbeyond (IPO), LIFFE (acquired by Euronext), Groupon (IPO), Guidewire (IPO), ITA Software (acquired by Google), MetroPCS (IPO), Netezza (acquired by IBM), Omniture (acquired by Adobe) and Skullcandy (IPO). Its current portfolio includes emerging and more established firms such as Bazaarvoice, BrightEdge, ExactTarget, Gogobot, Hotel Tonight, J.Hilburn, Kontagent, Marketo, Send the Trend, Sociable Labs, Viddy and Wayfair.