Aaref Hilaly
Partner
Bain Capital Ventures
Partner at Bain Capital Ventures focused on small teams using AI to solve problems previously underserved by software.
Bio
Professional summary
Ajay Agarwal is a Boston-based Partner at Bain Capital Ventures focused on early-stage application software. BCV lists his areas of interest as the modern sales and marketing stack, vertical SaaS with embedded fintech, supply chain and logistics, and product-led growth. His official profile highlights a background in software entrepreneurship and operations, including early startup experience and product and sales leadership at Trilogy Software. His investing examples include Kiva Systems, which was acquired by Amazon and became Amazon Robotics, and portfolio companies such as Ario, Mind Robotics, Pronto, Obvio, Actively, and Gather AI. He was trained as an electrical engineer at Stanford.
Investment focus
Stage, sector, and overall fit
Stage
Early StageSeed
Sector
AI AppsIndustrialsCommerceApplication softwareVertical SaaSSupply chainLogisticsProduct-led growth
Thesis
Early-stage application softwareModern sales and marketing stackVertical SaaS with embedded fintechSupply chain and logisticsProduct-led growth
Notable companies
Selected portfolio companies the partner has backed
Kiva SystemsAmazon RoboticsArioMind RoboticsProntoObvioActivelyGather AIClariClockwise
How to approach
Framing and angles for outreach
Pitch framing
Strong fit for early-stage application software founders with a clear workflow wedge, product-led motion, vertical SaaS angle, embedded fintech component, or industrial/logistics use case.
Personalization hooks
- 1Reference his stated interest in application software with core architectural advantages.
- 2Tie the pitch to product-led growth or vertical SaaS if applicable.
- 3Mention supply chain, logistics, or industrial software relevance if applicable.
Recent signals
What the partner has said or done recently
BCV profile lists recent insights including 'What’s Old Is New: AI Apps Go Back to the Future' dated January 30, 2025 and 'Industrial Renaissance: Software Transforming the Physical World' dated May 16, 2024.
BCV profile lists recent portfolio activity including Mind Robotics in 2026 and Pronto, Obvio, Actively, and Gather AI in 2024-2025.
Background
Career, education, and skills
Career history
- Bain Capital Ventures (BCV)PartnerMar 2003 - Present (23+ years)
- Trilogy SoftwareProduct & GTM Leader (Employee #18)~8 years prior to BCV (scaled from $1M to $300M revenue)
Education
- Stanford UniversityBS, Electrical Engineering (1987-1991)
- Harvard Business SchoolMBA (1993-1995)
Skills
Early-stage investingSaaSProduct managementSupply chainRoboticsAI applications
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