In the ever-evolving startup landscape, card, and business software company Brex is now venturing into the business travel sector in collaboration with Spotnana. Brex Travel, a new service offered on Brex’s Empower platform, provides desktop and mobile app bookings along with support from Spotnana agents. This addition complements Brex’s existing offerings, such as cards, expense management, receipt capture, and approval tools.
Brex Travel is designed to simplify the booking process and automate receipt collection, memos, and approvals for trips. The platform connects trips with customized budgets, providing managers with a comprehensive overview of all travel and entertainment (T&E) costs.
Henrique Dubugras, Co-founder and Co-CEO of Brex, emphasizes that the focus of Brex Travel is to help managers make more informed decisions about their travel plans. He believes that having a single platform to capture all T&E costs, including expenses from bookings made outside Brex Travel, leads to a higher return on investment for companies.
Spotnana Founder and CEO Sarosh Waghmar note that the travel service is currently available in several countries, with plans to expand as the company obtains accreditation and licensing in more markets. Brex can bill clients in multiple currencies, and the Empower platform supports more than 120 countries.
Companies like GoGuardian, Miso Robotics, FMX, and Satellite Healthcare are already using Brex’s travel service. Brex and Spotnana share revenue from customer fees, which can be negotiated based on volume. Customer service, both online and offline, is included in client fees.
Brex’s fintech competitors include Expensify, Navan, and Ramp, but Dubugras differentiates Brex by highlighting its comprehensive solutions for overall spending, not just T&E. The Brex platform is designed to handle various expenses, such as department spending, vendor payments, off-site, and employee benefits.
Brex currently serves tens of thousands of enterprises, startups, and e-commerce brands, offering virtual and plastic cards on the Mastercard network issued by Emigrant Bank and Fifth Third Bank. With Spotnana, Brex aims to make travel planning and budgeting more efficient and transparent for startups and growing companies.
