How Brex freed Automat's CEO to focus entirely on strategic growth
Industry
AI
Company size
6 Employees
Brex products used
Business banking, Corporate cards, Expense management
Grow your cash with Brex.
About Automat
Building enterprise AI agents to automate complex workflows
Founded by Carnegie Mellon graduates who previously worked at Google's Creative Lab and robotics division, Automat recently emerged from Y Combinator and closed their Series A funding round. As a fast-growing startup in the competitive AI automation space, Automat needed financial infrastructure that could scale with their ambitious growth plans without creating operational bottlenecks.
Challenges
Too much time spent banking instead of building
Like many early-stage startups, Automat initially struggled with fragmented financial operations that pulled leadership away from core business activities. Lucas Ochoa, CEO and Co-Founder, found himself spending significant time managing basic banking tasks instead of focusing on product development and customer acquisition.
"I was effectively handling invoices, managing users, and issuing cards as the founder for the first two years," Lucas explains. "The basics weren't thought through with our previous banking setup. Simple things like finding account and routing numbers were buried in interfaces, and user management felt like navigating an extraterrestrial design."
The team needed a financial platform that could provide immediate visibility into spending without requiring constant monitoring, especially as they began scaling their workforce and operational complexity. Traditional banking solutions lacked the user experience and real-time insights necessary for a technology company moving at startup speed.
Solution
Brex's intuitive platform made financial management effortless
After evaluating multiple banking providers, Automat chose Brex for its founder-focused design and comprehensive financial platform. The decision was driven by both the superior user experience and the strong community support within the Y Combinator ecosystem.
"Even though other providers were throwing more compelling monetary incentives at us, Brex just stands out significantly compared to the others," says Lucas. "The interface is slick and lets us do all the operating work we need without any hassle."
The platform's intuitive design eliminated the friction that had previously made financial management a time-consuming task. Lucas particularly appreciated how essential functions were easily accessible and clearly presented. "On Brex, all the things you need are within reach on the interface. It's clear that there's somebody with a very keen design mind thinking through each of these experiences."
"I was handling invoices as founder for two years. Now I don't need to check the platform daily. I can build the company.ā
ā Lucas Ochoa, CEO at Automat
Impact
More focus on what matters most, scaling with control
Since implementing Brex, Automat has successfully transitioned financial management responsibilities away from the founding team, enabling Lucas to focus entirely on strategic growth initiatives. The company now operates with a dedicated operations assistant and chief of staff handling day-to-day financial tasks through Brex.
"I get texts every time there's spending, and there's a very clear dashboard I can go to look through those expenses on Brex. I actually feel like there's more clarity for me in terms of our Brex spend than my own personal Amex cards," Lucas notes. "That confidence means I don't need to be in the platform 10 times a day, and I can go back to building the company."
The automated notifications and centralized expense tracking have given the leadership team complete visibility into company spending without requiring active monitoring. This operational efficiency has been particularly valuable as Automat scales their team and prepares for their next growth phase following their recent Series A funding round.
The seamless experience has created a foundation of trust that extends beyond basic banking functionality. "Most software I'm just fighting for my life to survive going through it," Lucas reflects. "With Brex, it's not a painful experience, it is actually enjoyable. "
By eliminating the operational overhead of financial management, Brex has enabled Automat to maintain their focus on developing cutting-edge AI automation technology while building the financial infrastructure necessary to support their rapid growth trajectory.
Ready to see how Brex can streamline your financial operations? Sign up for Brex today and discover how our integrated platform can eliminate the complexity of managing multiple financial tools while delivering measurable time and cost savings.