Bain Capital Ventures in AI Answers
How often AI platforms mention BCV when B2B founders ask about venture capital
BCV maintains excellent brand accuracy (100%) when explicitly searched, but organic discovery in unbranded queries is an opportunity area at 2.5% (2 of 80 tests). Competitors like Andreessen Horowitz (77.5%), Sequoia (67.5%), and Bessemer (56.2%) dominate AI responses. The two unbranded BCV mentions came from fintech and AI/ML queries—suggesting these categories align well with AI platforms' understanding of BCV's expertise.
Where BCV appears (and doesn't) in AI responses
Based on 20 unbranded queries across 6 strategic categories. These queries test organic discovery without brand names.
Earned media in AI citations
Classifying editorial outlets by BCV's share of voice across all queries. Strengths (≥30% share) vs Opportunities (<30% share).
PR Strengths: Strong BCV Representation (≥30%)
Outlets where BCV appears in ≥30% of citations. These outlets already associate BCV with VC content in AI responses.
🎯 PR Opportunities: Low BCV Representation (<30%)
Outlets where BCV appears in <30% of citations. Competitors dominate these channels—opportunity to increase share of voice.
Trade press cited (1 citation each, 0% BCV share)
Fintech and AI trade outlets appearing in AI responses—low volume but potential niche opportunities.
Tier-1 outlets not cited in this study
These high-authority outlets had zero citations across all AI responses—potential new channels for AI visibility.
AI visibility rankings among VC firms
Based on unbranded query mention frequency. This shows which firms AI platforms recommend most often when founders don't specify a firm name.
Position Summary
| Rank | Firm | Gap to BCV |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | Andreessen Horowitz | -75.0pp |
| #2 | Sequoia Capital | -65.0pp |
| #3 | Bessemer | -53.7pp |
| #4 | Accel | -52.5pp |
| #5 | Insight Partners | -33.7pp |
| #26 | Bain Capital Ventures BCV | — |
| #27 | IVP | +1.2pp |
| #28 | Redpoint Ventures | +1.2pp |
BCV visibility across AI platforms
Unbranded query performance by platform. Shows where BCV appeared organically.
Query appendix
All 128 tests with filtering and sorting. Click column headers to sort.
| Query ↕ | Type ↕ | Platform ↕ | Category ↕ | BCV Mentioned ↕ |
|---|
Study design and limitations
Study Parameters
32 unique queries tested across 4 AI platforms (ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini) on December 2, 2025. Queries included 12 branded queries (explicitly mentioning "Bain Capital Ventures" or "BCV") and 20 unbranded queries testing organic discovery without brand names. All 128 tests completed successfully.
Detection Methodology
BCV mention detection used case-insensitive pattern matching for "Bain Capital Ventures," standalone "BCV" (word boundaries), and "Bain Ventures." Note: "Bain & Company" (consulting firm) was correctly excluded from BCV counts. Citations were extracted from AI responses and domains were classified by type.
Important Limitations
- Snapshot in time—AI responses vary by day, session, and context
- Query phrasing significantly influences results
- Does not measure actual founder decision-making behavior
- VC selection remains relationship-driven beyond AI discovery
- Platform algorithms evolve continuously
- Sample of 32 queries may not capture all relevant search patterns
- Competitive detection limited to predefined firm patterns