What Centro Benefits Research does

Centro Benefits Research is an ancillary employee benefits consulting and technology firm founded in 2016 by Dan McAlone and headquartered in Beachwood, Ohio. The company serves U.S. insurance brokers and carriers, providing consulting, employee communications, and technology solutions focused on the ancillary benefits market (e.g., disability, life, voluntary, absence management). Its core offering is the Centro Digital Platform, an API-powered broker-carrier connectivity platform that automates the exchange of RFP and quote data between brokers and carriers, eliminating manual rekeying and reducing turnaround times. The platform includes a Broker Portal and integrates with seven insurance carriers, including Unum, Lincoln Financial, The Hartford, and Sun Life, with stated plans to automate more than 50% of employee benefits products over the next 12 months.

The company's business model combines professional services (ancillary benefits consulting, benefit administration, benefit education, and absence management consulting) with a recurring technology platform revenue stream from its broker-carrier API integrations. Centro distributes through direct enterprise sales to insurance brokers and via its carrier API ecosystem, supplemented by content marketing and PR. The firm is privately held and founder-controlled, with no disclosed institutional funding or parent company, and reports a network of 205+ ancillary benefits experts representing many of the top U.S. brokerage firms. Leadership includes a CEO (Dan McAlone), President (Treg Balding), CDO (Beata Rogala), CTO (Gabe de Forest), and a deep bench of VPs and directors across sales, operations, marketing, customer success, and carrier partnerships.

Pricing is not publicly disclosed, and Centro operates on a quote-based B2B model targeting brokers and carriers. The company holds no patents or formal industry awards in the source material and is CCPA-, GDPR-, and HIPAA-compliant. Its stated differentiator is being a carrier-agnostic, independent intermediary whose value rises as more carriers integrate into its API ecosystem.

Name

Centro Benefits Research

Legal name

Centro Benefits Research LLC

Website

https://centrobenefitsresearch.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Centro Benefits Research is an ancillary benefits consulting and technology firm that operates an API-powered digital platform connecting U.S. insurance brokers and carriers, automating RFP and quote workflows alongside consulting services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Insurance Technology / Ancillary Benefits

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Miscellaneous Intermediation (52391)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Employee Benefits Brokerage & Consulting (FSAEADAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Industry & Sector Research (Syndicated/Custom) (BPAHALAE)

Keywords

• Ancillary benefits consulting
• Insurance broker platform
• Benefits API integration
• RFP automation software
• Absence management consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Kirkwood

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Ancillary Benefits Consulting Services: Consulting services providing deep industry knowledge and expert guidance for brokers and carriers in the ancillary benefits space, including benefit administration, benefit education, and absence management consulting.
2. Technology Platform Services: Digital platform services enabling broker-carrier connectivity through API integrations, real-time RFP processing, and quoting functionality for the ancillary benefits marketplace.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Centro Benefits Research is an ancillary benefits consulting, employee communications, and technology firm that operates an API-powered digital platform connecting U.S. insurance brokers and carriers for real-time RFP submission, automated quoting, and benefits data exchange. The company combines a 205+ person expert consulting network with its Centro Digital Platform and Broker Portal to eliminate manual broker-carrier workflows.

Product overview

Centro Benefits Research offers a unified suite of ancillary benefits services combining consulting, employee communications, and technology solutions. The core of the technology offering is the Centro Digital Platform, an API-powered broker-carrier platform that enables real-time RFP and quote functionality through integrations with multiple insurance carriers (Unum, Lincoln Financial, The Hartford, Sun Life, and others). The platform includes a Broker Portal through which brokers submit RFP data that flows directly to carrier systems, eliminating manual rekeying and reducing administrative friction. Complementing the platform, Centro provides Benefit Administration, Benefit Education, Absence Management Consulting, and Market Insights services. The company was founded in 2016 and has a team of 205+ ancillary experts representing many of the top employee benefits brokerage firms in the United States.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Centro Digital Platform

Quantifiable outcome

• Significant reduction in turnaround times for broker partners
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Sun LifecoreTechnology or Integration · 10 June 2026API integration enabling seamless real-time exchange of RFP data between brokers and Sun Life, eliminating manual workflows and significantly reducing turnaround times for broker partners. Sun Life joins a growing network of carrier partners on Centro's platform, advancing the company's vision of a more efficient, digitally connected benefits marketplace.
• Lincoln Financial GroupcoreTechnology or Integration · 7 May 2026Expanded API integration adding RFP data exchange capabilities to their existing broker-carrier platform. Automates transfer of RFP data from Centro's Broker Portal directly to Lincoln systems, eliminating manual rekeying, reducing human error, and streamlining the submission process. Building on successful launch of Lincoln's policy API connection in 2025.
• UnumcoreTechnology or Integration · 24 February 2026API integration bringing seamless, real-time RFP and quote functionality to Centro's broker-carrier platform in the ancillary benefits space. Enables secure, straight-through processing of customizable data, reducing turnaround times and improving speed to market. Centro plans to further expand by integrating Unum's policy API into the platform.
• The HartfordcoreTechnology or Integration · 4 February 2026Addition of The Hartford to Centro's API-powered benefits quoting platform, enhancing broker-carrier connectivity by providing a faster, digital workflow for benefits marketing and quoting.

Scale indicators3 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Benefitfocus (Voya): A large-scale benefits administration platform now part of Voya Financial, serving employers, brokers, and carriers across medical and ancillary lines. Comparable to Centro as a broad incumbent in broker-carrier benefits technology, though much larger and more diversified.
• bswift: Enterprise benefits administration platform owned by CVS Health, providing enrollment, billing, and carrier connectivity for large employers and brokers. Comparable to Centro's API-driven broker-carrier integration work, but operating at significantly larger scale.
• Voya Financial: A large retirement, investment, and employee benefits company (and owner of Benefitfocus). Comparable to Centro in the sense that it is one of the major ancillary/benefits counterparties whose APIs and platforms Centro integrates with, and a potential strategic acquirer.
• HealthEquity: A large benefits technology and account-based health plan administrator serving employers and benefits brokers. Comparable to Centro as a broad incumbent in non-medical/ancillary benefits technology serving the broker distribution channel.

Direct peers

• Employee Navigator: A benefits administration and broker technology platform serving U.S. insurance brokers and employers. Comparable to Centro because it provides an integrated software layer that brokers use to manage client benefits, with overlap in broker workflow and carrier connectivity.
• Ease: Cloud-based benefits administration and HR software used by insurance brokers and employers. Directly comparable to Centro's broker portal in targeting broker-led benefits distribution and integrating carrier data flows.
• Maestro Health: A benefits brokerage and technology firm combining consulting, benefits administration, and online enrollment. Highly comparable to Centro's hybrid model of consulting services plus an integrated digital platform for brokers and employers.
• PlanSource: Benefits administration and enrollment platform serving employers, employees, and brokers. Comparable to Centro in broker-carrier integration and ancillary benefits workflows within a multi-carrier environment.

Emerging players

• Flock: An emerging group benefits platform modernizing ancillary and supplemental benefits for employers and brokers. Comparable to Centro in its API-driven, broker-centric approach to ancillary benefits distribution, though operating with a different go-to-market emphasis.
• PeopleKeep: A benefits technology company focused on small businesses and brokers, with a particular emphasis on ancillary and supplemental benefits administration. Comparable to Centro in the ancillary benefits broker enablement niche, though at a smaller scale and different segment focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles43 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Centro Benefits Research