ADVANCED THINKING SYSTEMS LTD
🌳Matureactive
02990563 · ltd · incorporated 1994-11-15
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
approaching window · 12-months
Approaching a transaction window — refinance or sale event plausible in the next 12 months.
- · Oldest live charge 10.7y old — refinance window within 12 months
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Nov 2024
Net worth
£2.80M
book net assets
Opportunity
83/100
Exceptional
What this business does
Primary activity: Ready-made interactive leisure and entertainment software development
Sector: Information & communication
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 69-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 83/100 (exceptional), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (63/100, director aged 69). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Most likely exit: strategic trade sale (73/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
2 live charges · 2 lenders · oldest 10.7y
70/100
ready
Refinance conversation should be productive — structure clean and timing right.
- · Oldest live charge is 10.7 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Two lenders — manageable, but coordination required.
- · Legal-friction score 15/100 — clean.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (79/100)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
2 charges (2/2 with lender, 2/2 with type)
90
Directors & officers
10 officers (4 active, 10 linked, 6 with DOB)
82
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 3 total, 3 with control declared
90
Director network
3 connected companies via shared directors
54
Filing history
96 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
83/100Exceptional
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Strong composite across quality, acquirability, and risk. High-priority target — progress to serious diligence.
Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
85
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
85
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 £2,800,375
Net assets shrinking
Down £1,132,552 YoY
Cash YoY
+4%
Year on year
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
£591k
↑ 3.9% YoY
Net Worth
£2.8m
↓ 29% YoY
Current Assets
£2.8m
↓ 27% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2024-11-30 | 2023-11-30 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £3.38M | £4.19M |
| Current assets | £2.79M | £3.80M |
| Cash | £590.6k | £568.4k |
| Debtors | £2.09M | £3.08M |
| Net assets | £2.80M | £3.93M |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
Recent activity
Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
0
filings
Last 180 days
0
filings
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (39 events)Click to expand
- 2025-08-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-smallaccounts · AA
- 2024-06-14📄accounts-with-accounts-type-smallaccounts · AA
- 2023-04-20📄accounts-with-accounts-type-audited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2022-10-24📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC05
- 2022-09-20📄memorandum-articlesincorporation · MA
- 2022-09-20📄resolutionresolution · RESOLUTIONS
- 2022-09-15📄capital-allotment-sharescapital · SH01
- 2022-09-15📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2022-09-15📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2022-09-15📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC02
- 2022-09-15📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2022-09-15📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2022-09-15📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2022-09-15📄termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM02
- 2022-09-15📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2022-09-06➕BOWDEN, David appointeddirector
- 2022-09-06➖HOWIE, Audrey Helen resignedsecretary
- 2022-09-06➖HOWIE, Audrey Helen resigneddirector
- 2022-09-06🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Michael John Howie (As Security Agent for the Noteholders, as Defined in the Instrument)
- 2022-05-12📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-07-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-02-25📄memorandum-articlesincorporation · MA
- 2021-02-25📄resolutionresolution · RESOLUTIONS
- 2021-02-05📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2020-12-01➕CLARK, Spencer Boyd Bruce appointeddirector
- 2020-12-01➕EVANS, Craig Calvin appointeddirector
- 2015-11-02🔒Charge registered #1Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 2006-03-30➕HOWIE, Audrey Helen appointeddirector
- 2003-10-10➕HOWIE, Audrey Helen appointedsecretary
- 2003-10-10➖HOWIE, Louise resignedsecretary
- 2000-07-31➖EGAN, Kim Jaqueline resignedsecretary
- 2000-07-31➕HOWIE, Louise appointedsecretary
- 2000-03-20➕EGAN, Kim Jaqueline appointedsecretary
- 2000-03-20➖HOWIE, Michael John resignedsecretary
- 2000-03-20➖HOWIE, Alison Louise resigneddirector
- 1994-11-15🏢Company incorporatedAs ADVANCED THINKING SYSTEMS LTD
- 1994-11-15➕HOWIE, Michael John appointeddirector
- 1994-11-15➕HOWIE, Michael John appointedsecretary
- 1994-11-15➕HOWIE, Alison Louise appointeddirector
Owner dependency
65/100
High — earn-out structure requiredMaterial founder dependency. Consider a 2-3 year earn-out and build in a handover plan before completion.
FACTORS
- -4 active directors: Broader management team in place — suggests transferable governance.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 32 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 69 — succession pressure is live.
Succession & seller-readiness
80/100
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 69. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 32 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 32 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
cleanNo red flags detected from available public data. (This is not a clean bill of health — detailed accounts review still recommended.)
Group structure
Ats Media Group Limited is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.
🏛️ultimate parent
Ats Media Group Limited
Corporate parent · holds 75-100% shares · board control
⬇
ADVANCED THINKING SYSTEMS LTD
This company · 02990563
Parent relationships inferred from Persons with Significant Control filings. Full subsidiary tree requires reverse-lookup (coming).
Shareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Ats Media Group Limited Corporate entity | 75–100% | 75–100% | board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control | 06/09/2022 |
2 historic (ceased) PSCs
- Mr Michael John Howieceased 06/09/2022· 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting · board control
- Mrs Audrey Helen Howieceased 06/09/2022· 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting · board control
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.
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 GROUP (RETAIL) LTD→ 11481413 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| A.C.N DATA & CCTV INSTALLATIONS LTD→ 15853359 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| ABLE SOLUTIONS (UK) LIMITED→ 04108041 · est 2000 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 25y | — | — |
| ACE CONSULTANCY EXPERT SERVICES (ACES) LIMITED→ 13530760 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| ACRONYM VOIP LTD→ 15325262 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| ADB SOFTWARE LIMITED→ 14012312 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| ADC INTERNATIONAL LIMITED→ 02725940 · est 1992 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 33y | — | — |
| ADELVIUM LTD→ 16155739 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| ADRIAN COLLINS LIMITED→ 03550424 · est 1998 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 27y | — | — |
| ADVENTURE CAMP LIMITED→ 09468289 · est 2015 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 11y | — | — |
| ADVOCA HEALTH LTD→ 16650138 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| AEGIR MSA LTD→ 12694725 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
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
Incorporated1994-11-15
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC62011 — Ready-made interactive leisure and entertainment software development
Registered office
100 Nest Business Park Martin Road
Havant
Hampshire
PO9 5TL
England
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-08-31
Last made up to: 2024-11-30
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-11-07
Last: 2025-10-24
Officers (4 active · 6 resigned)
BOWDEN, David→
Activedirector · ~60y · appointed 2022-09-06
View their other companies + combined net worth →
CLARK, Spencer Boyd Bruce→
Activedirector · ~49y · appointed 2020-12-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
EVANS, Craig Calvin→
Activedirector · ~44y · appointed 2020-12-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
HOWIE, Michael John→
Activedirector · ~69y · appointed 1994-11-15
View their other companies + combined net worth →
EGAN, Kim Jaqueline→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2000-03-20 · resigned 2000-07-31
HOWIE, Audrey Helen→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2003-10-10 · resigned 2022-09-06
HOWIE, Louise→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2000-07-31 · resigned 2003-10-10
HOWIE, Michael John→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 1994-11-15 · resigned 2000-03-20
HOWIE, Alison Louise→
Resigneddirector · ~61y · appointed 1994-11-15 · resigned 2000-03-20
HOWIE, Audrey Helen→
Resigneddirector · ~60y · appointed 2006-03-30 · resigned 2022-09-06
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
2
Total charges
2
Outstanding
2
Active lenders
Status:Lender:2 of 2 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Michael John Howie (As Security Agent for the Noteholders, as Defined in the Instrument) | A registered charge | 1 property | 06/09/2022 | — | |
| outstanding | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | A registered charge | — | 02/11/2015 | — |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (96 total)
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-11-05
accounts-with-accounts-type-small
accounts · AA
2025-08-29
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-10-24
accounts-with-accounts-type-small
accounts · AA
2024-06-14
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-10-24
accounts-with-accounts-type-audited-abridged
accounts · AA
2023-04-20
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC05
2022-10-24
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-10-24
memorandum-articles
incorporation · MA
2022-09-20
resolution
resolution · RESOLUTIONS
2022-09-20
capital-allotment-shares
capital · SH01
2022-09-15
appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
officers · AP01
2022-09-15
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2022-09-15
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC02
2022-09-15
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2022-09-15