ADVANCED CUTTING TECHNOLOGY LIMITED
💤Zombieactive
03189359 · ltd · incorporated 1996-04-23
Investment thesis
Zombie company — trading but stalled; unlikely mover.
Why interesting: Quiet, steady; could be a succession or carve-out candidate with the right conversation.
Why risky: No growth signal; thin margin for error on price.
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Jul 2025
Net worth
£390
book net assets
Opportunity
80/100
Exceptional
What this business does
Primary activity: Other manufacturing n.e.c.
Sector: Manufacturing
Investor take
PursueAsset-holding vehicle with a 80-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 80/100 (exceptional), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (83/100, director aged 80). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Cash flow review and working-capital discipline. Cash down -42% YoY — forensic review of receivables, stock turns, and creditor days. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).
Data confidence
Overall: medium (76/100)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
Confirmed no charges registered
85
Directors & officers
8 officers (2 active, 8 linked, 5 with DOB)
83
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 3 total, 3 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
92 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
80/100Exceptional
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
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
85
Few red flags.
Signal strength
90
Good data coverage for analysis.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · FRS 102Positive net assets
Net assets £390
Net assets shrinking
Down £34,598 YoY
Cash draining
Cash down 42% YoY
Cash YoY
-42%
Year on year
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
£111
↓ 42% YoY
Net Worth
£390
↓ 99% YoY
Current Assets
£78k
~ YoY
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102| Metric | 2025-07-31 | 2024-07-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £26.3k | £46.0k |
| Current assets | £77.5k | £77.1k |
| Cash | £111 | £190 |
| Debtors | £8.5k | £8.0k |
| Net assets | £390 | £35.0k |
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
1
filing
- • 1 accounts
Last 180 days
1
filing
- • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (30 events)Click to expand
- 2026-04-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2025-12-12📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2025-08-12📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2025-02-26📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-12-27📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-02-24📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-11-02📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-01-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-08-04📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2020-08-04📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2020-07-30📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2020-07-30📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2020-07-24➖WHITE, Alexander Leslie resigneddirector
- 2020-07-24➖WHITE, Leslie Robert resigneddirector
- 2019-12-24📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-11-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-02-21📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2011-10-07➖LONTON, Reginald Stanley resigneddirector
- 2000-01-13➖JEFFERY, David John resigneddirector
- 1998-04-02➕JEFFERY, David John appointeddirector
- 1997-02-11➕GRAY, Ian Patrick appointedsecretary
- 1997-02-11➖WHITE, Alexander Leslie resignedsecretary
- 1997-02-11➕WHITE, Alexander Leslie appointeddirector
- 1996-12-17➕LONTON, Reginald Stanley appointeddirector
- 1996-12-16➕GRAY, Ian Patrick appointeddirector
- 1996-12-16➕WHITE, Alexander Leslie appointedsecretary
- 1996-04-25➖FRANKLIN, Arthur Kenneth resignedsecretary
- 1996-04-23🏢Company incorporatedAs ADVANCED CUTTING TECHNOLOGY LIMITED
- 1996-04-23➕FRANKLIN, Arthur Kenneth appointedsecretary
- 1996-04-23➕WHITE, Leslie Robert appointeddirector
Owner dependency
100/100
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
- +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 30 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 80 — succession pressure is live.
Succession & seller-readiness
100/100
Likely off-market candidateStrong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
SIGNALS
- primaryFounder aged 70+: Senior director is approximately 80 years old. Natural succession window is now.
- primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 30 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 30 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.)
Shareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Ian Patrick Gray Individual · British · DOB 10/1946 · age 80 | 75–100% | 75–100% | board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control | 06/04/2016 |
2 historic (ceased) PSCs
- Alexander Leslie Whiteceased 24/07/2020· 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting · board control
- Mr Leslie Robert Whiteceased 24/07/2020· 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.
Similar companies
Active · Manufacturing · CM postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A H ELECTRICAL & EV SERVICES LTD→ 13741120 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| A J L ELECTRICAL SALES LIMITED→ 04581848 · est 2002 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 23y | — | — |
| ACS CARPENTRY LTD→ 16683891 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| ACTION HANDLING EQUIPMENT LIMITED→ 00985730 · est 1970 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 55y | — | — |
| AD FABRICATION LIMITED→ 02587848 · est 1991 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 35y | — | — |
| AD TOTAL FAB LTD→ 13164328 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| AD-TEK FINISHINGS LIMITED→ 04973242 · est 2003 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 22y | — | — |
| ADVANCING CLIENT ENGAGEMENT LTD→ 11055717 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 8y | — | — |
| ADWAY HEAT PUMPS LTD→ 12406844 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| AER MAVEN LIMITED→ 08083529 · est 2012 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 13y | — | — |
| AERIS TECHNOLOGY LTD→ 12069955 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| ÆXÈNTS LTD→ 10199139 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions
8 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
Incorporated1996-04-23
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC32990 — Other manufacturing n.e.c.
Registered office
C/O Xeinadin South East Ltd The Rivendell Centre
White Horse Lane
Maldon
CM9 5QP
England
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2027-04-30
Last made up to: 2025-07-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-08-25
Last: 2025-08-11
Officers (2 active · 6 resigned)
Active
GRAY, Ian Patrick→
Activedirector · ~80y · appointed 1996-12-16
View their other companies + combined net worth →
FRANKLIN, Arthur Kenneth→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 1996-04-23 · resigned 1996-04-25
WHITE, Alexander Leslie→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 1996-12-16 · resigned 1997-02-11
JEFFERY, David John→
Resigneddirector · ~83y · appointed 1998-04-02 · resigned 2000-01-13
LONTON, Reginald Stanley→
Resigneddirector · ~94y · appointed 1996-12-17 · resigned 2011-10-07
WHITE, Alexander Leslie→
Resigneddirector · ~53y · appointed 1997-02-11 · resigned 2020-07-24
WHITE, Leslie Robert→
Resigneddirector · ~86y · appointed 1996-04-23 · resigned 2020-07-24
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Recent filings (92 total)
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2026-04-30
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2025-12-12
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-08-12
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2025-08-12
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-02-26
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-08-12
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-12-27
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-08-14
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-02-24
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-08-15
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-11-02
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-08-16
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-01-28
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-08-11
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2020-08-04