Relay Application Innovation

What Relay Application Innovation does

Relay Application Innovation, Inc. (RAI), founded in 2000 by Larry Gross, PE and headquartered in Pullman, Washington, is a professional services firm specializing in electric power system protection. The firm designs electrical protection schemes — including studies, programming, and integration of microprocessor-based protective relays and their peripheral systems — and delivers that capability through a project-based services portfolio covering technical assessment, system protection design, relay settings and applications, system integration, commissioning support, training, and ongoing relay monitoring. RAI's technical differentiation centers on long-tenured power-system protection expertise and proprietary point-on-wave (POW) closing technology for SF6 breakers (with temperature-compensated timing and a Digital Breaker Failure Relay), supported by PE-registered staff licensed in 25+ U.S. states and Canada and a reference base of 90+ completed wind power projects.

RAI serves a primarily enterprise customer base comprising large and small utilities, electric transmission companies, industrial plants, construction companies, project developers (notably renewable/wind), system integrators, contractors, and consultants, with work spanning voltage classes through 765 kV. Revenue is generated entirely through B2B professional services engagements, ranging from on-call consulting relationships to full-scope protection and integration project management, marketed via direct enterprise field sales and reinforced through technical papers and conference presentations at venues such as WPRC, WPDAC, AWEA, TechCon Asia Pacific, and PEAC.

Since November 2019, RAI has operated as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Electrical Consultants, Inc. (ECI), a vertically integrated T&D utility and energy services firm with 18 offices across the United States and a headcount exceeding 600 engineers, project managers, designers, surveyors, environmental planners, and construction professionals. The acquisition gave RAI access to ECI's broader service platform while positioning RAI's protection engineering practice as the system-protection vertical within ECI; founder Larry Gross transitioned to Vice President of Power System Protection at ECI as part of the transaction. RAI does not operate as an independent growth-stage entity and no funding, IPO, or M&A activity beyond the 2019 ECI acquisition is disclosed.

Name

Relay Application Innovation

Legal name

Relay Application Innovation, Inc.

Website

https://relayapplication.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Relay Application Innovation is a Pullman, Washington-based professional services firm that designs, programs, integrates, and commissions electric power system protection schemes for utilities, industrial plants, renewable developers, and transmission operators across the U.S., operating since 2019 as a subsidiary of Electrical Consultants, Inc.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Power System Protection Engineering Services

NAICS

Electric Power Transmission, Control, and Distribution (22112)

SIC

Electronic & Other Electrical Equipment (No Computer Equip) (3600)

akta.pro primary industry

Protection, control & substation automation engineering (relay/RTU/IEC 61850) (EUADAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Protection, Fault Location & Adaptive Relaying for Reliability (EUADAHAG), Protection, Control & Monitoring (Relays, RTUs, Fault Recorders, Condition Monitoring) (IMAGAAAD), Protection, Relaying & Substation Automation Upgrades (IEC 61850) (EUAEALAC)

Keywords

• Power system protection
• Protective relays
• Electrical engineering services
• Substation commissioning
• Relay coordination

Headquarters

HQ city

Pullman

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Engineering and Consulting Services: Professional services including technical assessment, system protection design, relay settings and applications, system integration, commissioning support, and training
2. Relay Monitoring Services: Ongoing monitoring services for protective relay systems

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Relay Application Innovation provides electric power system protection services focused on protective relaying, including technical assessments, system protection design, relay settings and applications, system protection integration, commissioning support, training, and relay monitoring. The firm serves utilities, transmission companies, industrial plants, and wind project developers with engineering expertise spanning microprocessor-based relays, point-on-wave closing methods, and custom digital breaker failure relay design.

Product overview

Relay Application Innovation (RAI) provides a comprehensive suite of electric power system protection services rather than a software product platform. RAI was founded in 2000 and acquired by Electrical Consultants, Inc. (ECI) in 2020. The service portfolio includes: Technical Assessment, System Protection Design, Relay Settings and Applications, System Protection Integration, Commissioning Support, Training, and Relay Monitoring. The company serves utilities, industrial plants, construction companies, project developers, system integrators, contractors, consultants, and electric transmission companies. RAI has completed over 90 wind power projects and provides services for transmission systems through 765 kV.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Technical Assessment

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 90 wind power projects completed
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Electrical Consultants, Inc. (ECI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2019ECI acquired Relay Application Innovation, strengthening capabilities in system protection design and integration. The acquisition brings protection settings, customized software and hardware, and field commissioning expertise. RAI staff joined ECI, adding office locations in Pullman, WA; Tacoma, WA; and Sacramento, CA. ECI provides full range of T&D utility and energy services through 765 kV.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• POWER Engineers: Large multi-disciplinary engineering consultancy serving utilities, renewable developers, and industrial clients with T&D, substation, and protection services. Direct peer because it competes for the same utility protection, substation, and wind interconnection work.
• Power System Engineering (PSE): Independent power systems consulting firm providing planning, protection, and operations support to utilities and large energy users. Comparable as a similarly sized specialist competing for the same utility protection studies and relay settings work.
• S&C Electric Company: Specialty manufacturer and service provider for switching, protection, and grid reliability solutions to electric utilities. Comparable because S&C offers both protection products and professional services closely overlapping RAI's scope.
• Electrical Consultants, Inc. (ECI): Parent company of RAI; vertically integrated T&D utility services firm providing engineering, design, and field services through 765 kV. Direct peer because RAI now operates as ECI's protection division and competes for the same protection engineering engagements.

Broad incumbents

• Burns & McDonnell: Major employee-owned engineering, construction, and consulting firm with a sizable T&D practice serving utilities. Comparable because it offers protection engineering within broader substation, EPC, and grid modernization programs.
• Siemens Energy (Grid Technologies): Global supplier of protection relays, substation automation, and grid services. Comparable because it provides both the hardware platforms and engineering services used in utility protection schemes similar to RAI's scope.
• Quanta Services: Largest publicly traded utility infrastructure services firm in North America, providing T&D construction, substation EPC, and related engineering. Comparable because it bundles protection and commissioning into utility-scale grid and renewable projects.
• Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL): Manufacturer of protective relays and provider of related engineering services; the dominant U.S. relay vendor. Comparable because SEL supplies the hardware RAI configures and integrates, and competes for utility protection engineering scope.
• ABB (Electrification / Grid Protection): Global industrial OEM supplying protection relays, substation automation, and grid solutions to utilities. Comparable as a major source of relay technology RAI specifies and as a competitor for protection scope on utility bids.

Emerging players

• Mitsubishi Electric Power Products (MEPPI): Supplier of protective relays, substation automation, and power system services to North American utilities. Comparable as a vendor of the relay products RAI configures and a growing competitor in grid protection services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/RelayApplicationInnovation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/relay-application-innovation-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Relay Application Innovation