AKO UK LIMITED
🌳Matureactive
03090394 · ltd · incorporated 1995-08-11
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 30.2y old — refinance window within 12 months
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Sept 2024
Net worth
£178.9k
book net assets
Opportunity
83/100
Exceptional
What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 46140
Sector: Wholesale & retail
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 62-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 83/100 (exceptional), bankability 80/100. Strong seller-intent signal (70/100, director aged 62). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Discharge stale live charges. 1 live charge(s) created 15+ years ago — likely paid but undischarged. Clean register. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (65/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
1 live charge · oldest 30.2y
65/100
clean up first
Refinance viable after a tidy-up — address the highlighted items first.
- · Oldest live charge is 30.2 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
- · Legal-friction score 25/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (77/100)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
1 charges (1/1 with lender, 1/1 with type)
90
Directors & officers
9 officers (3 active, 9 linked, 5 with DOB)
81
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
90 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 £178,877
Cash YoY
+51%
Year on year
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
£73k
↑ 51% YoY
Net Worth
£179k
↑ 2.7% YoY
Current Assets
£403k
↑ 26% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2024-09-30 | 2023-09-30 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £179.6k | £175.8k |
| Current assets | £403.4k | £319.6k |
| Cash | £72.8k | £48.2k |
| Debtors | £176.7k | £134.4k |
| Net assets | £178.9k | £174.1k |
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
0
filings
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (32 events)Click to expand
- 2024-12-10📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2024-03-13📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2022-12-18📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2022-08-08📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2022-08-08📄change-person-secretary-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH03
- 2022-08-08📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2022-08-08📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2022-04-22📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2021-03-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2020-09-25📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC05
- 2019-12-06📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2018-11-16📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2017-11-17📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2016-12-09📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2016-01-13📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2012-10-01➕KOPP, Frederic appointeddirector
- 2012-10-01➖KOPP, Antoine resigneddirector
- 2005-01-01➕KOPP, Frederic appointedsecretary
- 2004-12-31➖FRANCE, June resignedsecretary
- 2002-06-06➖GOODMAN, Nicholas Howard resigneddirector
- 2000-02-01➕HESSINGER, Helmut appointeddirector
- 2000-02-01➖ESSEX, Daphne Vivien resignedsecretary
- 2000-02-01➕FRANCE, June appointedsecretary
- 2000-02-01➖ENNEVER, Brian resigneddirector
- 2000-02-01➕GOODMAN, Nicholas Howard appointeddirector
- 2000-02-01➕KOPP, Antoine appointeddirector
- 1996-03-15🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Midland Bank PLC
- 1995-08-11🏢Company incorporatedAs AKO UK LIMITED
- 1995-08-11➕ESSEX, Daphne Vivien appointedsecretary
- 1995-08-11➕SWIFT INCORPORATIONS LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 1995-08-11➖SWIFT INCORPORATIONS LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 1995-08-11➕ENNEVER, Brian appointeddirector
Owner dependency
76/100
High — earn-out structure requiredMaterial founder dependency. Consider a 2-3 year earn-out and build in a handover plan before completion.
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 26 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 62 — approaching natural succession window.
Succession & seller-readiness
76/100
Likely off-market candidateStrong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
SIGNALS
- secondaryFounder aged 58+: Senior director is approximately 62. Early succession window.
- secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 26 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 31 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
Ako Armaturen & Seperationstechnik Gmbh is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.
🏛️ultimate parent
Ako Armaturen & Seperationstechnik Gmbh
Corporate parent · holds 75-100% shares · board control
⬇
AKO UK LIMITED
This company · 03090394
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Ako Armaturen & Seperationstechnik Gmbh Corporate entity | 75–100% | 75–100% | board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control | 06/04/2016 |
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
Similar companies
Active · Wholesale & distribution · NN postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALFORDSON INTERNATIONAL TRADE LTD→ 16343665 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| AMS WHOLESALE LTD→ 11297281 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 8y | — | — |
| AMZENFA GROUP LTD→ 16413842 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| ANDAURAMA LTD LIMITED→ 15335914 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| ANDOMO LIMITED→ 10250182 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
| ANDSOM SKIN LIMITED→ 16078684 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| ANGEL-MAXINCIA CLOTHING LTD→ 11687786 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| ANGLING ON LINE LIMITED→ 03811864 · est 1999 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 26y | — | — |
| ANKT SERVICES LTD→ 16299429 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| ANNA WHOLESALES LTD→ 16516188 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| ANTHESTH LIMITED→ 09375519 · est 2015 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 11y | — | — |
| ANTHESTH TRADING LIMITED→ 09536805 · est 2015 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 11y | — | — |
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions
6 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
Incorporated1995-08-11
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC46140 — SIC 46140
Registered office
12 Rutherford Way
Drayton Fields Industrial Estate
Daventry
Northamptonshire
NN11 8XW
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-06-30
Last made up to: 2024-09-30
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-08-25
Last: 2025-08-11
Officers (3 active · 6 resigned)
Active
HESSINGER, Helmut→
Activedirector · ~62y · appointed 2000-02-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
KOPP, Frederic→
Activedirector · ~48y · appointed 2012-10-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
ESSEX, Daphne Vivien→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 1995-08-11 · resigned 2000-02-01
FRANCE, June→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2000-02-01 · resigned 2004-12-31
SWIFT INCORPORATIONS LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 1995-08-11 · resigned 1995-08-11
ENNEVER, Brian→
Resigneddirector · ~78y · appointed 1995-08-11 · resigned 2000-02-01
GOODMAN, Nicholas Howard→
Resigneddirector · ~80y · appointed 2000-02-01 · resigned 2002-06-06
KOPP, Antoine→
Resigneddirector · ~80y · appointed 2000-02-01 · resigned 2012-10-01
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
1
Total charges
1
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:1 of 1 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Midland Bank Midland Bank PLC | Fixed and floating charge | 1 property | 15/03/1996 | — |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (90 total)
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-08-11
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2024-12-10
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-08-23
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2024-03-13
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-08-14
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2022-12-18
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-08-11
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2022-08-08
change-person-secretary-company-with-change-date
officers · CH03
2022-08-08
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2022-08-08
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2022-08-08
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2022-04-22
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-08-11
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2021-03-29
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC05
2020-09-25