ADFLEX LIMITED
🌳Matureactive
02579576 · ltd · incorporated 1991-02-04
Investment thesis
Well-run mature business — low negotiation leverage; premium likely.
Why interesting: Textbook target; clean filings, stable trading.
Why risky: No pressure on seller; any deal likely at full price.
Opportunity decay
hardening · 12-months
Already tight — no obvious softening catalysts on the horizon.
- · Thesis: well-run, low negotiation leverage
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Feb 2025
Net worth
£4.00M
book net assets
Opportunity
79/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: Other information technology service activities
Sector: Information & communication
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 68-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 79/100 (strong), bankability 67/100. Strong seller-intent signal (93/100, director aged 68). 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
5 live charges · 3 lenders · oldest 25.7y
35/100
too messy
Refinance path is blocked by complexity. Rethink structure or expect bespoke, expensive terms.
- · Oldest live charge is 25.7 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · 3 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
- · Legal-friction score 25/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (78/100)Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.
Company profile
address, 1 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed
75
Lenders & charges
5 charges (5/5 with lender, 5/5 with type)
90
Directors & officers
5 officers (3 active, 5 linked, 2 with DOB)
78
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
1 connected companies via shared directors
48
Filing history
101 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
79/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
77
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declaredPositive net assets
Net assets £4,000,810
Cash YoY
-6%
Year on year
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
£3.0m
↓ 6.0% YoY
Net Worth
£4.0m
↑ 1.9% YoY
Current Assets
£3.6m
↓ 1.8% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2025-02-28 | 2024-02-29 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £4.10M | £4.04M |
| Current assets | £3.64M | £3.71M |
| Cash | £2.95M | £3.14M |
| Debtors | £688.8k | £567.0k |
| Net assets | £4.00M | £3.93M |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
🔒Filing-note intelligence
1 signal detected in this company's narrative notes — going-concern language, audit opinion, contingent liabilities, related-party transactions.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Recent activity
Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
0
filings
Last 180 days
1
filing
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (30 events)Click to expand
- 2025-09-19📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-11-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-11-26📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2024-11-26🔓Charge satisfied #4
- 2024-11-06📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2024-11-06🔓Charge satisfied #2
- 2023-06-21📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-11-23📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-11-26📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-11-27📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-11-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-11-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2017-11-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2017-02-03📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2016-02-29📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2016-02-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2016-02-03📄gazette-filings-brought-up-to-dategazette · DISS40
- 2011-09-15🔒Charge registered #5Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
- 2008-04-30🔓Charge satisfied #3
- 2007-08-23🔒Charge registered #4Lender: Capital Home Loans Limited
- 2007-03-29🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 2006-03-27🔒Charge registered #3Lender: Close Invoice Finance Limited
- 2004-05-05🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Capital Home Loans Limited
- 2004-04-27➕HUGHES, Darryl appointedsecretary
- 2004-04-27➕HUGHES, Darryl appointeddirector
- 2004-04-27➖PEARLSTONE, Alisa resignedsecretary
- 2000-09-23🔒Charge registered #1Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
- 1996-02-04➖CONLON, Patrick Joseph resignedsecretary
- 1995-08-01➕PEARLSTONE, Alisa appointedsecretary
- 1991-02-04🏢Company incorporatedAs ADFLEX LIMITED
Owner dependency
83/100
Critical — business is the founderThe business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.
FACTORS
- +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 22 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 68 — succession pressure is live.
Succession & seller-readiness
86/100
Likely off-market candidateStrong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
SIGNALS
- primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 68. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
- secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 22 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 35 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.
- 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.
Shareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Patrick Birmingham Individual · British · DOB 10/1958 · age 68 | 75–100% | — | 75-100% shares | 06/04/2016 |
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
🔒Co-director network graph
Radial SVG graph showing every company connected via shared directors, colour-coded by status.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Similar companies
Active · Technology · CM postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACTIONGOLDEN LIMITED→ 03247478 · est 1996 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 29y | — | — |
| ACTIVE ENTERPRISE SOLUTIONS LTD→ 03816473 · est 1999 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 26y | — | — |
| ADALLIANCE LTD→ 11677074 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| ADAMANTIUM GROUP LTD→ 05669548 · est 2006 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 20y | — | — |
| ADCL ENTERPRISES LIMITED→ 10145597 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
| ADDER DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY LIMITED→ 03893056 · est 1999 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 26y | — | — |
| ADELE FENSHAM CONSULTING LIMITED→ 15143619 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| ADIARU CONSULTANCY LIMITED→ 16583592 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| ADIRE LTD→ 11678067 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| ADITUS EVENT TECH LIMITED→ 14730330 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| ADMEE LTD→ 12312751 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| ADON FILM AND TV LTD→ 16740771 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
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
Typeltd
Incorporated1991-02-04
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC62090 — Other information technology service activities
Registered office
Burntwood House
7 Shenfield Road
Brentwood
Essex
CM15 8AG
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-11-30
Last made up to: 2025-02-28
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-02-18
Last: 2026-02-04
Officers (3 active · 2 resigned)
Active
Active
HUGHES, Darryl→
Activedirector · ~54y · appointed 2004-04-27
View their other companies + combined net worth →
CONLON, Patrick Joseph→
Resignedsecretary · resigned 1996-02-04
PEARLSTONE, Alisa→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 1995-08-01 · resigned 2004-04-27
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
5
Total charges
1
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:5 of 5 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 15/09/2011 | — | |
| satisfied | Capital Home Loans Capital Home Loans Limited | Deed of charge | 1 property | 23/08/2007 | 26/11/2024 | |
| satisfied | Close Invoice Finance Close Invoice Finance Limited | Fixed charge over non vesting debts | 1 property | 27/03/2006 | 30/04/2008 | |
| satisfied | Capital Home Loans Capital Home Loans Limited | Legal charge | 1 property | 05/05/2004 | 06/11/2024 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 23/09/2000 | 29/03/2007 |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (101 total)
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-02-10
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-09-19
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-02-18
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-11-28
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2024-11-26
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2024-11-06
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-02-05
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-06-21
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-02-07
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-11-23
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-02-10
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-11-26
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-02-08
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2020-11-27
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-02-05