Centro

A leading all-in-one programmatic and workflow automation platform for agencies and enterprise advertisers, now operating as Basis Technologies

Centro was a Chicago-based enterprise advertising software company founded in 2001 that built a reputation as one of the most ambitious all-in-one digital advertising platforms in the industry. The company developed Basis, a unified platform combining programmatic buying, direct media buying, search, and social advertising with robust workflow automation and campaign management tools — all designed to help agencies and brands manage the full lifecycle of digital advertising from a single interface. Centro's approach was distinctive in that it sought to eliminate the fragmented toolset that most media teams relied on, replacing dozens of point solutions with one integrated system. Over its two decades of operation, Centro grew to serve hundreds of agencies and brands across North America, earning recognition for its DSP capabilities, its investment in automation, and its commitment to building software that addressed the operational complexity of modern media buying. The company raised significant venture capital and expanded its headcount substantially, becoming a notable employer in Chicago's tech ecosystem. In 2021, on its 20th corporate anniversary, Centro officially rebranded as Basis Technologies, signaling a deeper commitment to its flagship Basis platform and its identity as a technology-first company. The rebranding to Basis Technologies marked the culmination of Centro's evolution from a managed services and media buying firm into a pure software and SaaS business. The Basis platform continues to operate today under the Basis Technologies brand, offering DSP, programmatic, workflow, and analytics capabilities to agencies and enterprise advertisers. The Centro brand itself is no longer the operating identity, but its legacy lives on in the product and company culture that now carries the Basis Technologies name.