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
Merritt Hummer is a Partner at Bain Capital Ventures based in New York. Her official profile states that she works with B2B SaaS founders at the growth stage, focusing on horizontal application software and product-led growth businesses. The profile also lists domain tags including AI Apps, Fintech, Commerce, and Industrials. Her investment commentary emphasizes novelty, market timing, emerging software categories, strong metrics, and founders with distinctive insight or resilience. She also highlights BCV's ability to support portfolio companies through strategic introductions and product-led growth expertise.
Investment focus
Stage, sector, and overall fit
Stage
Growth
Sector
AI AppsFintechCommerceIndustrialsB2B SaaSHorizontal application softwareProduct-led growth
Thesis
Growth-stage B2B SaaSHorizontal application softwareProduct-led growth businessesEmerging software categories and innovative approaches to existing problems
Notable companies
Selected portfolio companies the partner has backed
MaintainXPleoApolloPylon
How to approach
Framing and angles for outreach
Pitch framing
Emphasize growth-stage SaaS metrics, product-led growth motion, market timing, and why the company represents a novel category or new approach to a persistent business problem.
Personalization hooks
- 1Reference her stated focus on product-led growth and horizontal application software.
- 2Show rigorous metrics and durability rather than broad market claims.
- 3Connect the pitch to a clear market tailwind or enabling technology.
Recent signals
What the partner has said or done recently
Published or co-authored BCV insights in 2025 and 2026 related to MaintainX and Pylon.
Recent insight coverage includes AI-native B2B support and conversational support workflows.
Background
Career, education, and skills
Career history
- Bain Capital Ventures (BCV)Partner2018 - Present (7+ years)
- Bain & CompanyConsultantPrior to BCV
Education
- Harvard Business SchoolMBA — Baker Scholar
- Princeton UniversityBSEng, Engineering (cum laude)
Skills
Growth investingB2B SaaSProduct-led growthApplication softwareEuropean tech
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