LightBay Backs Centre Technologies

LightBay Capital has made an investment in Centre Technologies, a provider of outsourced IT services.

Centre Technologies services portfolio spans managed IT, cloud computing, cybersecurity, business intelligence, and IT consulting. On the cloud side, Centre manages Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services deployments, private cloud hosting, and virtual desktop infrastructure. Its cybersecurity practice includes managed security information and event management, managed detection and response, proactive vulnerability scanning, and employee security awareness training.

Customers of Centre include more than 750 Texas and Oklahoma-based organizations – both with no internal IT function and those looking to augment existing IT staff – that operate in the healthcare, energy, financial services, manufacturing, and construction sectors.

Centre was founded in 2006 by CEO Chris Pace and is headquartered in Houston. “I couldn’t be more excited to team up with LightBay to support Centre in this next phase of growth,” said Mr. Pace. “We’ve spent nearly twenty years building Centre into a partner our clients can count on, and from our very first conversations with LightBay, it was clear that they get it. They put people first, they build leaders, and they know how to help a company like ours grow without losing what makes it special.”

Centre has operated without private equity backing since its founding, growing through a combination of organic expansion and nine acquisitions that Mr. Pace completed and integrated prior to the LightBay transaction. Some of the recent buys of IT services providers by Centre were Hummingbird Technology (2025), Atlas Technology Group (2024), and Applied Resource Technologies (2024).

According to Grand View Research, the global managed services market is projected to grow from $437 billion in 2026 to $847 billion by 2033, a compound annual growth rate of nearly 10%, driven by the increasing complexity of IT environments, accelerating cloud adoption, and rising cybersecurity requirements across regulated industries.

“Centre exemplifies the key investment qualities we look for: a need-to-have service, deep and durable client relationships, a winning culture, a proven M&A track record, and an exceptional team,” said A.B. Rampuria, a managing director at LightBay. “Outsourced IT and cybersecurity have become mission-critical for businesses as IT environments grow more complex and AI reshapes the technology stack. Centre’s client-centric service delivery model, security-embedded service offerings, and disciplined acquisition playbook position it as a clear leader in a large and fragmented market. We are excited to partner with Founder and CEO Chris and the entire Centre team to accelerate growth and establish Centre as a premier platform in the MSP market.”

LightBay Capital invests from $100 million to $300 million of equity in middle-market companies that operate in the business services, healthcare, and consumer sectors. LightBay closed its second fund, LightBay Investment Partners II, in May 2023 with $1.0 billion in capital, exceeding its $800 million target and closing at its hard cap. LightBay was founded in 2017 and is headquartered in Los Angeles.

“Chris and his team have built something special, anchored by a culture of service and an unwavering commitment to their clients,” said David Burcham, a partner at LightBay. “We are proud to back Centre in its next chapter of growth.”

Guggenheim Securities was the financial advisor to Centre and Houlihan Lokey was the financial advisor to LightBay.