How Pivot Bio pays for their entire T&E program with Expensify’s cash back
At a Glance
Biggest results with: The Expensify Card + Automated approval workflows
Favorite features:
- Expensify virtual cards
- Realtime controls
- Automated approval workflows
The best part:
- Cash back covers full T&E costs
- Admin time slashed by 90%
- Better employee experience on the expense management platform
Customer since: 2023
Pivot Bio, one of the world’s leading innovative agtech companies, delivers to farmers patented crop nutrition technologies that harness the power of nature to reliably and productively grow the food the world needs in the face of increasing volatility.
Currently available in North America and soon in Brazil, the company’s products are a breakthrough innovation and one of the agriculture industry’s most promising climate solutions.
Pivot Bio has been recognized three times by TIME magazine on its annual list of best inventions, by Fast Company on its World Changing Ideas and World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies lists, by CNBC on its Disruptor 50 list of private companies, by Fortune on its Impact 20 list of startups driving social good, and by MIT Tech Review as one of 15 climate tech companies to watch.
The company needed a better way to manage employee travel and expense operations. As the company grew, its finance team was burdened with manual audits, fragmented tools, and high operational costs.
After switching to Expensify and using the Expensify VisaⓇ Commercial Card feature, the company not only streamlined their corporate T&E program; they also started earning back more than they had spent.
Nicolas Dubus, Senior Director of Procurement and Strategic Sourcing, put it simply: “We are a high profile agtech growth company and our product is really transforming the agricultural world, improving the lives of farmers and the health of our planet.”
The challenge: Disconnected tools and manual workloads
Before Expensify, Pivot Bio’s finance team managed T&E across a disconnected stack: One tool for booking, another for cards, and a manual audit process that involved reviewing every single expense report. With limited integration into their accounting system, scaling the process felt unsustainable.
“We wanted to look at T&E holistically – from booking to payment to reimbursement – and provide the best possible solution to employees,” said Nicolas.
The solution: One platform, one card, total realtime visibility
Pivot Bio rolled out Expensify across the company as an all-in-one expense management solution. Every employee received a virtual Expensify Card during onboarding, which syncs seamlessly with Egencia for travel booking.
Once a trip is booked, receipts flow directly into Expensify and trigger an automatically generated expense report, dramatically reducing the manual effort.
“When they book with the virtual card, the receipt automatically feeds into Expensify and creates the expense report for them,” said Nicolas. “That’s amazing from an end-user perspective.”
Results: Revenue-positive T&E – Cash back covered full program cost, slashing auditing time by 90%
The impact was immediate. Not only did Pivot Bio cut down on admin time, but they also turned their T&E program into a revenue-positive function.
“The cash back offsets the entire cost of the expense reimbursement platform – and more – covering the management of our T&E program.”
— Nicolas Dubus, Senior Director of Procurement and Strategic Sourcing
By consistently leveraging the Expensify Card, Pivot Bio unlocked the 1–2% cash back tier, depending on the monthly spend.
They also moved from manually auditing every report to reviewing just 5–10%, saving valuable time for the finance team.
“Before, we manually audited 100% of expense reports, which didn’t make sense. Now, we audit 5–10% of the most impactful ones and leverage Expensify guardrails to ensure compliance, which saves us huge time,” Nicolas explained.
Employee experience: Mobile-first, stress-free spending
The switch to virtual cards also made life easier for employees. Travel expenses could now be managed end-to-end from their phones, without needing to manually create reports.
“It’s extremely rare that I can’t pay for 100% of my expenses with my Expensify virtual card using just my phone,” said Nicolas.
“You’re not hired to create an expense report; you’re hired for your expertise. [...] the process [to create an expense report should be] as easy and seamless as possible,” he continued.
From the AP team’s perspective, adoption was smooth and intuitive. “It’s pretty simple to use,” said Shardaye Henderson, Senior Accounts Payable Specialist. “I don’t spend many hours on Expensify. It's self-sufficient.”
The Expensify edge: What drives the ROI
Pivot Bio’s finance and operations teams now have everything they need in one place: smart controls, automated workflows, and a travel card that pays them back. Here’s what sets Expensify apart:
Up to 2% cash back on travel spend
Virtual cards with dynamic limits and fraud controls
Automated expense creation and submission
Scalable policies for audit reduction and control
Ready to switch? Why Expensify scales with your team
Thanks to making the switch to Expensify, Pivot Bio’s T&E stack now pays for itself, and scales as they grow.
Whether you’re managing a remote team, scaling fast, or just tired of chasing receipts, Expensify makes it easy to manage travel and expenses in one place.
Ready to simplify expenses and earn cash back while you’re at it?
Take a tour of the Expensify mobile app or click below to get started.
