Relay innovation is an active process; it starts with innovation capability identification and ends with innovation capability inheritance. A knowledge lattice helps knowledge workers to better connect with the knowledge they require in relay innovation. Considering gazelle enterprises as research objects, this study constructs an analytical framework of the functional mechanism of the knowledge lattice in relay innovation and introduces knowledge matching and knowledge transfer as the conducting variables for empirical verification. The empirical analysis results show that the knowledge lattice significantly affects knowledge matching, that knowledge matching significantly affects knowledge transfer, and that knowledge transfer significantly affects relay innovation.