Welcome to Thursday!

☀️ Today's weather: Sunny, with a high of 89 and a low of 66.

🎂 Happy birthday to our member Mary Prager!

Today’s newsletter is 921 words — a 3.5-minute read.

Relay, a Raleigh-based startup making smart communication tools for frontline workers, has raised $36 million from investors, the company told Axios.

Why it matters: Relay, which spun out of fellow Raleigh tech company Bandwidth, has been one of the fastest-growing startups in the Triangle in recent years.

• The new funding will help it continue that growth, with plans to hire around 100 workers over the next year, according to Chris Chuang, the company's CEO.

How it works: Relay makes a smart walkie-talkie that enables managers to communicate with workers remotely. Because it is connected to the internet, it can also provide real-time location data and insights.

• The tool has proven useful in fields like hospitality, with hotel workers using it between floors, as well as in health care, education and manufacturing, Chuang said.
• Relay's device, which includes smartphone app integrations, can also do real-time language translation between workers and serve as a safety alert if a team member needs immediate assistance.

Zoom in: Relay now has around 300 employees, expanding so fast in recent years that it outgrew its space in the Advance Auto Parts tower in North Hills. It now subleases space at Bandwidth's headquarters near Lenovo Center.

• The company has now raised $90 million from investors since it was founded in 2015 as Republic Wireless. The company declined to say what it is valued at after this funding round, but PitchBook pegged its last valuation at $369 million.

State of play: Chuang said that this funding round is about helping the company reach its next milestones, moving from a company that just offered a smart walkie-talkie that could replace a traditional Motorola to one that can help companies improve their AI capabilities.

• Chuang said its devices can be used to bring AI use cases to frontline workers while also collecting data that the companies can use to fine-tune operations or make decisions.
• It will also allow it to continue to invest in next-generation hardware that can be used in a variety of frontline situations like factories.

Go deeper

Caterpillar, a giant of the construction equipment industry, is investing another $1 billion into the town of Sanford.

Why it matters: Sanford, on the far edge of the Triangle's exurbs, has become one of the fastest-growing areas in the region as more people and businesses look farther out for cheaper land prices.

Driving the news: The money is being pitched as a modernization of a Caterpillar plant in Sanford, where it is already one of the largest employers.

• It comes after the company already pledged to hire 600 additional workers at the plant this year. The company employs roughly 2,000 workers in Lee County.

The big picture: Sanford, around 40 miles southwest of Raleigh, has landed several job announcements in recent years, including in the biotech space with firms like Pfizer, Astellas Gene Therapies and Steris investing in the area.

☕️ Cup-A-Joe signed a lease for a second location between N.C. State and Meredith College, this one at 3625 Hillsborough St. (Triangle Business Journal 🔒)

🧮 Some worry that proposed Census changes could lead to an undercount of North Carolina's population. (WUNC)

🚔 N.C. state law enforcement agencies face a deadline today to enter agreements with ICE on immigration enforcement. (News & Observer)

The Raleigh City Council could allocate around $2 million to add a new playground area to Moore Square, according to plans reviewed at a recent meeting.

Why it matters: Moore Square has been the subject of much consternation lately, with many local residents raising concerns over safety around the downtown Raleigh bus station.

• A recent operation by the N.C. Alcohol Law Enforcement Division and the Raleigh Police Department in Moore Square yielded dozens of arrests over illegal drug activity and cited a "decline in quality of life in and around the Moore Square area."

Between the lines: At the same time, the Moore Square area remains one of the most heavily trafficked areas in the city and is popular with families due to the presence of the Marbles Kids Museum.

Driving the news: As part of an effort to bring more foot traffic to the square, the Raleigh City Council discussed adding a new play area at the park during a recent retreat. The News & Observer first reported the discussion.

Zoom in: The three options discussed were:

1. A low-ground structure made out of nets for kids to climb on. Cost: $1.5 million to $1.8 million.
2. A vertical canopy tower with rope bridges. Cost: $800,000 to $1 million.
3. An elevated rope tunnel. Cost: $1.5 million to $1.8 million.

What they're saying: Commenting on Twitter, Bill King, the CEO of the Downtown Raleigh Alliance, said continued investment in Moore Square will be key to reviving the area.

• "This could be a part of a larger effort to re-position this district as a hub for families," he wrote.

✈️ Zachery thinks there has been a noticeable shift in behavior on airplanes. Nobody looks out the windows anymore.

🦈 Mary Helen checked out Atlanta's aquarium before heading home. Way more overstimulating than she remembered.

Thanks to Melissa Oyler for editing this newsletter.