Hatchproof fuels growth with startup-friendly Brex cards.

Seeking a startup-friendly card to fuel growth while controlling expenses

Hatchproof’s primary challenge was one familiar to many startups — their founder and CEO Imran Syed was moving fast and wearing many hats, and he needed a way to maximize the value of every dollar and every minute. So he sought a corporate card provider that understood startups and could not only meet his credit needs but also simplify his finances and help him scale.

Additionally, Imran had previously experienced the difficulties of controlling spend across multiple locations, employees, and vendors. Having seen credit card programs get out of hand, he was eager to find a card program that could enable tighter but easy-to-use controls — and provide greater visibility to eliminate the guesswork of who spent what and why. He also sought to accelerate accounting with a card solution that would integrate directly with QuickBooks.

Lastly, Imran’s previous experience with cards and expenses had followed a model “where all our expenses were going out the first two weeks of the month and we were doing collection in the third and fourth week.” There wasn’t much of a buffer or flexibility. For Hatchproof, he sought a more modern, flexible approach to credit and payments.

Hatchproof gets spending power, control, and speed with Brex cards

HImran said his first instinct was to go with Brex corporate credit cards, but his colleague wondered whether Brex was too big for Hatchproof’s needs. Undeterred, Imran told us, “I did my research, and I saw that Brex is very scalable. And I wanted a relationship with a provider that understood me and could grow with me.”

He also liked that the Brex card is designed to help new startups establish business credit for the future, and without requiring a personal guarantee. “My one word for Brex is ‘approachable.’ The Brex startup solution and the people are very approachable, and Brex is helping to lead and grow the startup community,” said Imran.

Another critical reason Hatchproof went with a Brex corporate card is that the high-limit card covered their credit needs and made expenses easy. “Brex makes it easy to track expenses and set budgets globally. It is a solution I feel very comfortable using anywhere in the world,” said Imran.

Hatchproof also looked at other conventional card options and found the application process overly complex vs. Brex. Imran shared, “Brex has a much easier path to set up than typical cards.” Imran also considered opening a card with Mercury, which did offer a quick signup, but said: “Mercury alone could not give me the flexibility I would need to grow into like Brex did.”

“With Brex, I’ve never had to worry. They’ve scaled seamlessly with us, giving us all the credit we need and then some.”

– Imran Syed, founder and CEO, Hatchproof

Busy founder gains flexible credit and frees up mindshare with Brex

With a Brex card, Imran has the spending power he needs to continue Hatchproof’s rapid growth. “The key is to secure credit before you need it, not when you’re scrambling for it. With Brex, I’ve never had to worry — they’ve scaled seamlessly with Hatchproof, giving us all the credit we need and then some.”

He added, “Brex’s flexible, rotational credit system has been a game-changer for managing cash flow. At Hatchproof, we typically pay vendors at the beginning of the month while collecting revenue during the last two weeks. Brex helps us bridge that gap seamlessly, giving us the flexibility to balance expenses and collections while providing a critical buffer for the future.”

By using Brex integrations to sync with QuickBooks, Hatchproof is also saving time on accounting. “Transactions go directly into QuickBooks, which increases accuracy and saves me time.” Imran is also looking to expand how he uses Brex cards by issuing unique virtual cards for different vendors and office locations, allowing him to control and track different types of spend more easily.

Imran also discussed how Brex’s support makes founder life easier. When checking into a hotel after a late flight, Imran needed to contact Brex about his card: “I called support and got connected to a human being right away. No pushing buttons or talking to an automated agent.” He compared the level of service to his personal Amex card: “I have the same connotation with my Platinum American Express and Brex. I feel like my Brex card has my back no matter where I’m at.”

Another way Brex helps Hatchproof continue to scale is through startup events. Imran shared,“I attended a Brex startup event in New York and met some cool startup founders, and Brex introduced me to a couple of VCs.” Imran believes he’s found a true partner in Brex, “Brex is a partner that will grow with all our stages. Whatever I’m tackling, Brex can help me.”

Perhaps the biggest benefit of using Brex is that Imran frees up mindshare for his most important work: “As a founder, I value providers that take away some of the critical thinking I have to do. Since I set up Brex, I have more mindshare for the things that add value to the business.” Imran believes that a founder and CEO have three core imperatives: managing finances, evolving product-market fit with your customers, and retaining your best people. “Financial strategy is critical, and tools like Brex have completely reshaped how I approach it. It gives me the clarity I need without taking up the time I don’t have. It’s a true win.”