LightBay Capital makes strategic growth investment in Centre Technologies
What's the deal? Los Angeles-based private equity firm LightBay CapitalDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has made a growth investment in Centre Technologies, a Houston-based IT managed services provider.
Announced June 24, 2026, the deal gives Centre capital to expand its sales reach, enter new regions and service lines, and deepen its AI, cloud, and cybersecurity offerings.
Founded in 2006 by chief executive officer Chris Pace, Centre serves more than 750 clients across Texas and Oklahoma. It has completed and integrated nine acquisitions to date.
Why now? Outsourced IT and cybersecurity have become mission-critical as tech environments grow more complex and AI reshapes the stack.
The managed services provider (MSP) market is large and highly fragmented, creating an opening to build a consolidation platform through acquisitions.
"Outsourced IT and cybersecurity have become mission-critical for businesses as IT environments grow more complex and AI reshapes the technology stack," said A.B. Rampuria, managing director at LightBay.
What could go wrong? Roll-up strategies hinge on integration. Centre must absorb new acquisitions without losing the high-touch, regional delivery model that drives its retention.
Pace flagged that concern directly, praising LightBay for knowing "how to help a company like ours grow without losing what makes it special."
The signal: Backing a breakout-stage MSP with a proven nine-deal acquisition track record, LightBay is wagering that Centre's disciplined integration playbook can scale beyond its Texas and Oklahoma base into a regional consolidation platform — the kind of bet private equity increasingly favours in a fragmented market where security-embedded services command durable client relationships.
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