Brex Data Reveals AI-Driven 5-Year Shakeup in Startup Tech Stacks

Financial technology firm Brex has released new data indicating a significant transformation in startup technology stacks, marking the "biggest shakeup in 5 years." The company, a prominent provider of financial services to growing businesses, announced the findings on social media, stating,

"New Brex data on how AI is reshaping what tools startups actually use." This comprehensive analysis, based on the spending patterns of Brex's startup customers, highlights the profound impact of artificial intelligence on software adoption and workflow optimization across the industry.

The Brex Benchmark report reveals several notable shifts in preferred software. Figma has emerged as the dominant design tool for startups, with its market share increasing by 47% since 2020, while Adobe's share dropped by 38% and it no longer appears in the top 10 bundles. Concurrently, OpenAI has rapidly become an essential piece of startup infrastructure, reflecting a broad integration of AI capabilities into daily operations. The data also suggests Notion is increasingly challenging Google Workspace in the collaboration market, though many Notion users still maintain Google subscriptions.

A key finding from the Brex data points to Anthropic's Claude as the foundational model of choice for maturing, AI-first startups, leading in total AI spending by outpacing OpenAI by a 2:1 margin in May. While OpenAI remains the default for many early-stage companies, a significant 78% of Anthropic customers also utilize OpenAI, indicating a prevalent multi-model strategy. This trend suggests startups are strategically diversifying their AI model usage to leverage specific strengths.

The report further identifies Cursor as a core development tool, ranking among the top three AI tools adopted by startups, mirroring Figma's standardization in design. Voice-first AI applications are also gaining traction, with bundling patterns emerging around tools like ElevenLabs, Deepgram, Speechify, and Assembly.ai. In sales and marketing automation, Instantly and Clay HQ are becoming central, enabling startups to accelerate customer engagement and streamline outbound efforts through AI.

Brex's own experience reflects the rapid changes observed in the market; the company's CTO, James Reggio, noted in a recent TechCrunch interview that Brex had to fundamentally rethink its software procurement process to keep pace with AI's evolution. Startups are advised to treat AI as infrastructure rather than mere experimentation, focusing on building integrated workflow stacks where tools amplify each other. This strategic approach, as highlighted by Brex, is crucial for navigating the evolving landscape and maximizing the benefits of AI adoption.