Canto
USMid-market cloud DAM with AI search, approvals, brand portals and a product-content edition from Image Relay.
Mid-marketSMBEU hosting: Yes
DAM Atlas PIM + DAM, Mid-market DAM
Image Relay DAM Atlas vendor profile
Vermont-based DAM and PIM vendor acquired by Canto in 2024; its offering continues as Canto DAM for Products.
Merged or retired brandVerified: mediumLast verified 2026-10
In short
Image Relay, a Vermont-based SaaS vendor that combined digital asset management and product information management, was acquired by Canto in September 2024. At the time it served more than 400 companies and 100,000 users. The brand has since been folded into Canto, and new buyers should evaluate Canto DAM for Products instead.
Image Relay key facts
| Headquarters | United States |
|---|---|
| Founded | Not verified |
| Ownership | Owned by Canto since September 2024 (deal terms not disclosed) |
| Status | Merged or retired brand Acquired by Canto in September 2024. imagerelay.com now redirects to an 'Image Relay is now Canto' page, and the combined DAM and PIM offering is sold as Canto DAM for Products. Existing customers keep a dedicated support portal and status page. |
| Market segments | Mid-market |
| Deployment | SaaS |
| EU data hosting | Unknown No hosting regions were published for Image Relay itself. New buyers are directed to Canto, which offers AWS hosting in Ireland and Germany. |
| European offices | None published |
| Certifications | SOC 2 (stated as compliant at acquisition) |
| Pricing | No longer sold under its own brand; new buyers are quoted for Canto DAM for Products. |
| Website | canto.com/image-relay-is-now-canto |
Image Relay overview
Image Relay built a Marketing Delivery platform that unified DAM and PIM, letting brands store and share approved product information and digital assets from one SaaS system. Its founder and CEO, Skye Chalmers, described about 20 years of company history at the time of the acquisition, and the business reported more than 400 customer companies and 100,000 users worldwide. The platform targeted manufacturers and consumer brands that needed images, descriptions and specs to reach retailers and e-commerce channels together. That niche explains why a marketing DAM vendor such as Canto saw it as a strategic addition.
Canto announced the acquisition in September 2024, with Canaccord Genuity advising Image Relay and Goodwin Procter advising Canto, and terms were not disclosed. Chalmers joined Canto to lead the integration of technologies and teams. By January 2025 imagerelay.com redirected to an 'Image Relay is now Canto' page, which presents Canto DAM for Products as the combined offering for product images, descriptions and specs. The implication is clear for buyers: Image Relay is no longer a standalone option on a new shortlist.
Existing Image Relay customers still have a dedicated support portal, a DAM and PIM status page and Image Relay terms of service, but Canto publishes no migration timeline or pricing commitments. Customers should request a written roadmap covering contract renewal, migration to Canto DAM for Products, data model mapping for product attributes and any change in hosting region. Prospective buyers should assess [Canto](vendor:canto) directly and compare it with PIM + DAM alternatives.
Strengths
- Combined DAM and PIM in one SaaS product for brands distributing product content to channels.
- Its capabilities continue inside Canto DAM for Products, backed by a larger vendor with EU hosting options.
- Existing customers retain a dedicated support portal and service status page after the acquisition.
Considerations
- Image Relay is no longer sold under its own brand, so new buyers should evaluate Canto DAM for Products.
- Canto has published no migration timeline or pricing commitments for existing Image Relay customers.
- Product data models may change during consolidation into Canto, which requires careful attribute mapping.
Best for
Existing Image Relay customers planning their transition; new buyers seeking the same DAM and PIM combination should shortlist Canto DAM for Products.
Image Relay capabilities
- AI auto-taggingNot verified
- Generative AINot verified
- Brand portalNot verified
- Brand guidelinesNot verified
- Video managementNot verified
- Creative workflowNot verified
- TemplatingNot verified
- Rights managementNot verified
- Image CDN and resizingNot verified
- PIM capabilitiesDocumented
- Adobe Creative Cloud pluginNot verified
- Figma pluginNot verified
- Microsoft 365 integrationNot verified
- Headless APINot verified
Recent developments
- 2025-01
imagerelay.com began redirecting to Canto's 'Image Relay is now Canto' page, which promotes Canto DAM for Products.
- 2024-09
Canto announced the acquisition of Image Relay to offer a unified DAM and PIM solution, with Image Relay CEO Skye Chalmers joining Canto to lead integration.
Image Relay FAQ
Who owns Image Relay?
Canto has owned Image Relay since September 2024. The Image Relay website now redirects to Canto, and the combined offering is sold as Canto DAM for Products.
Is Image Relay still available to new customers?
New customers are directed to Canto DAM for Products. Existing Image Relay customers retain a support portal, status page and terms of service.
What are alternatives to Image Relay?
Buyers who need DAM with product content typically compare Canto DAM for Products with other mid-market DAM and PIM + DAM options such as Brandfolder, MediaValet and NetX.
Image Relay alternatives
Buyers who evaluate Image Relay typically also shortlist these vendors.
Usability-focused cloud DAM from Smartsheet with AI tagging, Brandguide guidelines, portals and Smart CDN.
EnterpriseMid-marketEU hosting: YesAcquired, brand continues
MediaValet
CAAzure-native enterprise DAM from Vancouver with AI tagging, face recognition, transcription and portals.
EnterpriseMid-marketEU hosting: YesAcquired, brand continues
Sources
- Newswire: Canto Acquires Image Relay (September 2024)
- MarTech Cube: Canto Expands Market Reach with Strategic Image Relay Acquisition
- Canto: Image Relay is now Canto
Facts verified against the sources above in 2026-10. Vendors can request corrections at editors@digitalassetmanagementsystems.com.