SOFTCAT PLC
🌳Matureactive
02174990 · plc · incorporated 1987-10-07
Investment thesis
Looks cheap but ownership + security both unclear — probable value trap.
Why interesting: Headline metrics may be attractive.
Why risky: No PSC visibility combined with multiple live charges; transacting likely slow and expensive.
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
not disclosed
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
77/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: Other information technology service activities
Sector: Information & communication
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 65-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 77/100 (strong), bankability 77/100. Strong seller-intent signal (73/100, director aged 65). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 3 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: strategic trade sale (73/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
3 live charges · 3 lenders · oldest 35.0y
35/100
too messy
Refinance path is blocked by complexity. Rethink structure or expect bespoke, expensive terms.
- · Oldest live charge is 35.0 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · 3 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
- · Legal-friction score 30/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.
Data confidence
Overall: low (51/100)Sparse data coverage. Treat AI-generated outputs as preliminary. Manual diligence essential.
Company profile
address, 1 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
No iXBRL financials extracted
0
Lenders & charges
3 charges (3/3 with lender, 3/3 with type)
90
Directors & officers
34 officers (8 active, 34 linked, 25 with DOB)
85
Ownership & PSC
No PSCs filed (unusual — worth investigating)
35
Director network
9 connected companies via shared directors
72
Filing history
332 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
77/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
70
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
77
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
Recent activity
Last 30 days
1
filing
- • 1 capital
Last 90 days
4
filings
- • 3 capital
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Last 180 days
25
filings
- • 24 capital
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (88 events)Click to expand
- 2026-06-03📄capital-allotment-sharescapital · SH01
- 2026-05-06📄capital-allotment-sharescapital · SH01
- 2026-04-02📄capital-allotment-sharescapital · SH01
- 2026-03-17📄capital-return-purchase-own-sharescapital · SH03
- 2026-03-17📄capital-return-purchase-own-sharescapital · SH03
- 2026-03-17📄capital-return-purchase-own-sharescapital · SH03
- 2026-03-03📄capital-allotment-sharescapital · SH01
- 2026-02-27📄capital-cancellation-sharescapital · SH06
- 2026-02-27📄capital-cancellation-sharescapital · SH06
- 2026-02-27📄capital-cancellation-sharescapital · SH06
- 2026-02-27📄capital-cancellation-sharescapital · SH06
- 2026-02-27📄capital-cancellation-sharescapital · SH06
- 2026-02-27📄capital-cancellation-sharescapital · SH06
- 2026-02-27📄capital-cancellation-sharescapital · SH06
- 2026-02-27📄capital-cancellation-sharescapital · SH06
- 2026-02-27📄capital-cancellation-sharescapital · SH06
- 2026-02-27📄capital-cancellation-sharescapital · SH06
- 2026-02-27📄capital-cancellation-sharescapital · SH06
- 2026-02-17📄capital-cancellation-sharescapital · SH06
- 2026-02-17📄capital-cancellation-sharescapital · SH06
- 2026-02-17📄capital-cancellation-sharescapital · SH06
- 2026-02-17📄capital-cancellation-sharescapital · SH06
- 2026-02-17📄capital-cancellation-sharescapital · SH06
- 2026-02-17📄capital-cancellation-sharescapital · SH06
- 2024-12-09➖MURRIA, Vinodka resigneddirector
- 2024-01-01➕FERGUSON, Jacqueline Patricia Christine appointeddirector
- 2023-09-01➕PRAKASH, Mayank appointeddirector
- 2023-07-31➖HELLAWELL, Martin John resigneddirector
- 2023-06-19➕MECKLENBURGH, Kathryn Isabel, Dr appointeddirector
- 2023-01-17➖SLATFORD, Karen resigneddirector
- 2022-05-03➕WEEDALL, Lynne Marie appointeddirector
- 2019-12-31➖VENTRESS, Peter John resigneddirector
- 2019-12-05➕SLATFORD, Karen appointeddirector
- 2019-07-01➕PERRISS, Robyn appointeddirector
- 2019-06-30➖GINSBERG, Lee Dale resigneddirector
- 2019-01-14➕THOMAS, Luke appointedsecretary
- 2019-01-14➖LINK COMPANY MATTERS LIMITED resignedcorporate-secretary
- 2018-11-01➕LINK COMPANY MATTERS LIMITED appointedcorporate-secretary
- 2018-10-31➖CHIME, Winifred resignedsecretary
- 2018-04-01➕WATT, Graeme Alistair appointeddirector
- 2018-03-31➖WALLACE, Brian resigneddirector
- 2016-12-09➕CHIME, Winifred appointedsecretary
- 2016-12-09➖CAPITA COMPANY SECRETARIAL SERVICES LIMITED resignedcorporate-secretary
- 2015-11-03➕MURRIA, Vinodka appointeddirector
- 2015-10-19➖KENNY, William resignedsecretary
- 2015-10-19➕CAPITA COMPANY SECRETARIAL SERVICES LIMITED appointedcorporate-secretary
- 2015-10-15➖BROWN, Colin William resigneddirector
- 2015-10-15➖KELLY, Peter David John resigneddirector
- 2015-10-01➕VENTRESS, Peter John appointeddirector
- 2015-09-16➕GINSBERG, Lee Dale appointeddirector
Showing most recent 50 of 88 events
Owner dependency
55/100
Moderate — manageable with handoverSome founder dependency, but not acute. A structured handover period should cover most risk.
FACTORS
- -7 active directors: Broader management team in place — suggests transferable governance.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 65 — succession pressure is live.
Succession & seller-readiness
55/100
Strong succession signalMultiple signals suggest succession is on the horizon. Candidate for proactive outreach.
SIGNALS
- primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 65. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
- supportingClean filings + long tenure: Disciplined long-tenure operator — classic lifestyle-business pattern that often sells quietly.
Red flags
1 med ·Charge satisfaction-then-recreation pattern
mediumMultiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.
🔒Co-director network graph
Radial SVG graph showing every company connected via shared directors, colour-coded by status.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
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Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions
7 specific questions generated from this company's actual signals — liquidity, leverage, director age, charge count, red flags, age-of-company.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →🔒Advanced scoring suite
Exit-route ranking, improvement thesis, quiet-distress detector, covenant-pressure proxy, extraction monitor, approaching triggers, ownership drift, local cluster, value trap, debt capacity, archetype classification — 48+ scoring modules.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Company details
Statusactive
Typeplc
Incorporated1987-10-07
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC62090 — Other information technology service activities
Registered office
Solar House
Fieldhouse Lane
Marlow
Buckinghamshire
SL7 1LW
United Kingdom
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2027-01-31
Last made up to: 2025-07-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-05-31
Last: 2026-05-17
Officers (8 active · 26 resigned)
Active
CHARLTON, Graham→
Activedirector · ~49y · appointed 2015-03-19
View their other companies + combined net worth →
FERGUSON, Jacqueline Patricia Christine→
Activedirector · ~56y · appointed 2024-01-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
MECKLENBURGH, Kathryn Isabel, Dr→
Activedirector · ~53y · appointed 2023-06-19
View their other companies + combined net worth →
PERRISS, Robyn→
Activedirector · ~53y · appointed 2019-07-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
PRAKASH, Mayank→
Activedirector · ~53y · appointed 2023-09-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
WATT, Graeme Alistair→
Activedirector · ~65y · appointed 2018-04-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
WEEDALL, Lynne Marie→
Activedirector · ~59y · appointed 2022-05-03
View their other companies + combined net worth →
CHIME, Winifred→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2016-12-09 · resigned 2018-10-31
KELLY, Peter David John→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 1992-10-22 · resigned 2002-03-31
KENNY, William→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2012-09-26 · resigned 2015-10-19
KENNY, William James→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2002-03-31 · resigned 2011-06-29
ORR, Leanne→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2011-06-29 · resigned 2012-09-26
WILLANS, Robert Henry→
Resignedsecretary · resigned 1992-10-22
CAPITA COMPANY SECRETARIAL SERVICES LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-secretary · appointed 2015-10-19 · resigned 2016-12-09
LINK COMPANY MATTERS LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-secretary · appointed 2018-11-01 · resigned 2019-01-14
BROWN, Colin William→
Resigneddirector · ~64y · appointed 2013-06-26 · resigned 2015-10-15
FAWELL, Douglas→
Resigneddirector · ~54y · appointed 2001-08-01 · resigned 2014-06-10
GINSBERG, Lee Dale→
Resigneddirector · ~69y · appointed 2015-09-16 · resigned 2019-06-30
HELLAWELL, Martin John→
Resigneddirector · ~61y · appointed 2006-03-24 · resigned 2023-07-31
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
3
Total charges
0
Outstanding
0
Active lenders
Status:Lender:3 of 3 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| satisfied | HSBC Hsbc Bank PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 20/01/2002 | 15/07/2014 | |
| satisfied | HSBC Hsbc Invoice Finance (UK) LTD | Fixed charge on purchased debts which fail to vest and on other debts and floating charge on the remainder of company's property | 2 properties | 17/10/2001 | 15/07/2014 | |
| satisfied | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | Mortgage debenture | 1 property | 21/06/1991 | 24/10/2003 |
Recent filings (332 total)
capital-allotment-shares
capital · SH01
2026-06-03
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-05-19
capital-allotment-shares
capital · SH01
2026-05-06
capital-allotment-shares
capital · SH01
2026-04-02
capital-return-purchase-own-shares
capital · SH03
2026-03-17
capital-return-purchase-own-shares
capital · SH03
2026-03-17
capital-return-purchase-own-shares
capital · SH03
2026-03-17
capital-allotment-shares
capital · SH01
2026-03-03
capital-cancellation-shares
capital · SH06
2026-02-27
capital-cancellation-shares
capital · SH06
2026-02-27
capital-cancellation-shares
capital · SH06
2026-02-27
capital-cancellation-shares
capital · SH06
2026-02-27
capital-cancellation-shares
capital · SH06
2026-02-27
capital-cancellation-shares
capital · SH06
2026-02-27
capital-cancellation-shares
capital · SH06
2026-02-27