The Disney Economy

Author

Shai Goldman
March 31, 2026

Happy Tuesday Brex Community,

Spring break with the family in California. A few things I noticed.

We spent part of the trip at Disneyland. Look, I knew it was spring break. But I was still caught off guard by just how packed it was. Long lines, expensive concessions, overpriced restaurants completely booked out. If you just looked around, you'd think the economy was running like it was 2021 at peak ZIRP. People were spending freely and the place was electric.

What struck me more though: in a moment when AI is basically all any of us talk about, there was something really cool about watching thousands of people just... experience things in person. Yes, phones were out. But people were there for the real thing. The taste of an overpriced churro. The sound of a kid absolutely losing it on a ride. The smell of sunscreen. Stuff you're never going to get from a chatbot.

The other half of the trip was Venice Beach. Same story. Basketball, skateboarding, roller skating, surfing, people working out on the sand. Busy, loud, alive.

I think I needed the reminder. We spend a lot of time inside the AI bubble, and it's easy to forget the world outside it is doing just fine. People connecting with each other, showing up, being present. No prompt required.

Have a great week and touch grass 🙂 

April 8 - SF - Mixer with Brex / Eleven Labs / Intercom / Newmark - Apply Here

April 14 - SF - Brex x Core Memory Live Podcast - Apply Here

April 15 - NYC - Brex Supper Club - for newly VC backed Founders - At Capacity

Recurring - NYC - Founder workout sessions - Apply Here

Breakout Ventures has announced the closing of its $114 million Fund III, aimed at supporting early-stage companies that leverage artificial intelligence to accelerate scientific innovation.

  • Investment Focus: The fund targets "scientific founders" using technology and AI to solve complex problems in biology, chemistry, and human-machine connection.

  • Current Deployment: Fund III is already being deployed, with initial investments in Reach Industries (visual intelligence for labs) and two "stealth" startups focused on scientific distribution and chemical analysis.

  • Track Record: The announcement follows several high-profile successes from previous funds, including:

    • Surf Bio: Recently acquired by Halozyme for up to $400M.

    • Noetik: Recently secured a $50M partnership with GSK for AI-driven oncology research.

    • Twelve: A manufacturer of sustainable aviation fuel made from air.

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Brex is the intelligent finance platform built for speed and control. Combining corporate cards, banking, treasury, expense management, bill pay, travel, and accounting, Brex helps companies spend smarter and move faster in 120 countries. By integrating AI across every workflow, Brex enables founders and finance teams to eliminate manual work, do more with less, and accelerate impact. More than 35,000 companies from startups to enterprises run on Brex, including Anthropic, Cursor, ServiceTitan, Robinhood, DoorDash, and Sonos