Dear Kingdom builders,

Investors poured more than $250 billion into AI in just the first quarter of 2026. And this week, the Pope released a letter to the world about AI’s implications to humanity.

Meanwhile, I had the privilege of moderating a panel and attending the Texas Venture Gala and Forum at the Texas State Capitol. Just days before, Governor Abbott declared Texas the financial capital of America. As you can imagine, there was a lot of energy there.

But the biggest news in the faith & investing space came from Rome this week. Pope Leo XIV issued his first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, a sweeping document on safeguarding human dignity in the age of artificial intelligence.

Drawing an explicit parallel to his namesake-predecessor Leo XIII's landmark 1891 Rerum Novarum, which addressed industrial-era power concentration, the new Pope frames today's AI moment as an equivalent civilizational inflection point. His central concern is that AI systematically amplifies the power of those who already control capital, data, and expertise which will lead to deeper inequality rather than creating opportunity.

The numbers don’t lie.

AI startups raised $255.5 billion globally in Q1 2026 alone surpassing the full-year total for 2024. Three deals accounted for two-thirds of that capital. Horizontal platforms pulled in $197 billion across just 396 transactions.

While the barriers to creating most digital products have effectively collapsed, the capital continues to concentrate upward, not distributing outward…yet.

This isn't solely an abstract moral-theological question. It's a prudent, due diligence question. It calls investors and institutions to look beyond profits; to determine whether it serves human flourishing, preserves dignity, and distributes its benefits broadly.

That's why my conversation with Jon and Cherie Werner is so prescient this particular week. In a world that is becoming more digital and isolated, they created a space for human interaction and flourishing. They are building Austin’s tech ecosystem, one of the fastest-growing in the world.

Interestingly, they are also building their own AI tech startup as well, but with the clear intention of enhance human interaction. Their story is incredible. And you can see why a movement built around them.

It is going to be interesting to see how the balance between artificial intelligence and humanity plays out. We have had plenty of technological disruption, but never a tech that took on such human capabilities.

There is so much opportunity with digital productivity. But are we capable of using it as a tool to enhance our humanity rather than a replacement for it?

Have a blessed week!

Matt

For informational purposes only. This content does not constitute investment, tax, or legal advice, nor a recommendation to buy or sell any security.

What happens when two faith-driven innovators offer a free space for founders to connect in a welcoming environment?

Jon and Cherie Werner used their natrual gifts as entrepreneurs and connectors and inadvertently built FIESTA, a staple in the Austin startup scene which has connected over 10,000 founders and funders in Austin without a pitch or an agenda.

In this conversation we cover:

When Pope Leo XIV unveiled his first encyclical on AI, he didn't do it alone — he presented it alongside an Anthropic co-founder, signaling that the Church and the AI safety community may be converging on the same civilizational concern. The document draws an explicit parallel to Rerum Novarum, the Church's landmark 1891 response to industrial-era inequality.

A new analysis highlights the growing generosity crisis facing churches and ministries: while total U.S. charitable giving reached $592.5 billion in 2024, religious organizations’ share has dropped dramatically from 63% to just 24% over the past 40 years.

For informational purposes only. This content does not constitute investment, tax, or legal advice, nor a recommendation to buy or sell any security.

A soft circle is an informal, verbal indication of investment interest from a prospective investor before a deal is formally closed or documented.

For informational purposes only. This content does not constitute investment, tax, or legal advice, nor a recommendation to buy or sell any security.

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