ACORN LASER LIMITED
💤Zombieactive
03643216 · ltd · incorporated 1998-10-02
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
—
not disclosed
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
82/100
Exceptional
What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 25990
Sector: Manufacturing
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 64-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 65/100. Strong seller-intent signal (70/100, director aged 64). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Discharge stale live charges. 2 live charge(s) created 15+ years ago — likely paid but undischarged. Clean register. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
4 live charges · 2 lenders · oldest 27.4y
30/100
under pressure
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 27.4 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Two lenders — manageable, but coordination required.
- · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (56/100)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
No iXBRL financials extracted
0
Lenders & charges
4 charges (4/4 with lender, 4/4 with type)
90
Directors & officers
6 officers (1 active, 6 linked, 2 with DOB)
77
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
3 connected companies via shared directors
54
Filing history
85 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
82/100Exceptional
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
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
Recent activity
Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
0
filings
Last 180 days
2
filings
- • 2 officers
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (32 events)Click to expand
- 2026-01-12📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2026-01-12📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2025-09-30📄resolutionresolution · RESOLUTIONS
- 2025-09-30📄memorandum-articlesincorporation · MA
- 2025-09-17📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2025-09-08📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC02
- 2025-09-08📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2025-09-01🔒Charge registered #4Lender: Graeme Robert Deanus
- 2025-05-19📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-08-12📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-06-15📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-07-12📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-07-22📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-08-19📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-03-13📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2019-03-19📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-09-21📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2016-10-10➖MCMAHON, Eileen resignedsecretary
- 2011-06-14🔒Charge registered #3Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 2005-01-26🔒Charge registered #2Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 1999-01-11🔒Charge registered #1Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 1998-11-23➖DEANUS, Graeme Robert resignedsecretary
- 1998-11-23➕MCMAHON, Eileen appointedsecretary
- 1998-11-23➖GRAHAM, Geoffrey Stephen resigneddirector
- 1998-10-20➕DEANUS, Graeme Robert appointeddirector
- 1998-10-20➕DEANUS, Graeme Robert appointedsecretary
- 1998-10-20➖SWIFT INCORPORATIONS LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 1998-10-20➕GRAHAM, Geoffrey Stephen appointeddirector
- 1998-10-20➖INSTANT COMPANIES LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-director
- 1998-10-02🏢Company incorporatedAs ACORN LASER LIMITED
- 1998-10-02➕SWIFT INCORPORATIONS LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 1998-10-02➕INSTANT COMPANIES LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-director
Owner dependency
93/100
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 28 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 64 — approaching natural succession window.
Succession & seller-readiness
95/100
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 64. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
- primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 28 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 28 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
Acorn Laser Eot Ltd is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.
🏛️ultimate parent
Acorn Laser Eot Ltd
Corporate parent · holds 75-100% shares · board control
⬇
ACORN LASER LIMITED
This company · 03643216
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Acorn Laser Eot Ltd Corporate entity | 75–100% | — | board control75-100% shares · board control | 01/09/2025 |
1 historic (ceased) PSC
- Mr Graeme Robert Deanusceased 01/09/2025· 75-100% shares
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 · Manufacturing · NE postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AAF LIMITED→ 00875806 · est 1966 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 60y | — | — |
| ACT UK GROUP (FIFE) LIMITED→ 14076624 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| ADC ELECTRICAL LIMITED→ 07353942 · est 2010 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 15y | — | — |
| ADESSH GLOBAL REFRIGERATION AND AIR-CONDITIONING LTD→ 16609128 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| ADM AUTOMATION LIMITED→ 01446781 · est 1979 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 46y | — | — |
| ADM PRESSINGS LIMITED→ 06775062 · est 2008 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 17y | — | — |
| ADRIAN SANDER FURNITURE LIMITED→ 04703631 · est 2003 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 23y | — | — |
| ADVANCED AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS LIMITED→ 04692613 · est 2003 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 23y | — | — |
| ADVANCED COMPOSITES ENGINEERING LIMITED→ 12973819 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| ADVANCED DENTAL SERVICES LTD→ 07940826 · est 2012 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 14y | — | — |
| ADVANCED ELECTRONICS LIMITED→ 03750100 · est 1999 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 27y | — | — |
| ADVANCED GROUP SERVICES LTD→ 01642374 · est 1982 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 43y | — | — |
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
Incorporated1998-10-02
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC25990 — SIC 25990
Registered office
3 Armstrong Road
Washington
Tyne And Wear
NE37 1PR
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-09-30
Last made up to: 2024-12-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-09-29
Last: 2025-09-15
Officers (1 active · 5 resigned)
DEANUS, Graeme Robert→
Activedirector · ~64y · appointed 1998-10-20
View their other companies + combined net worth →
DEANUS, Graeme Robert→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 1998-10-20 · resigned 1998-11-23
MCMAHON, Eileen→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 1998-11-23 · resigned 2016-10-10
SWIFT INCORPORATIONS LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 1998-10-02 · resigned 1998-10-20
GRAHAM, Geoffrey Stephen→
Resigneddirector · ~59y · appointed 1998-10-20 · resigned 1998-11-23
INSTANT COMPANIES LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-director · appointed 1998-10-02 · resigned 1998-10-20
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
4
Total charges
4
Outstanding
2
Active lenders
Status:Lender:4 of 4 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Graeme Robert Deanus | A registered charge | 1 property | 01/09/2025 | — | |
| outstanding | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 14/06/2011 | — | |
| outstanding | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 26/01/2005 | — | |
| outstanding | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | Mortgage debenture | 1 property | 11/01/1999 | — |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (85 total)
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2026-01-12
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2026-01-12
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-10-16
resolution
resolution · RESOLUTIONS
2025-09-30
memorandum-articles
incorporation · MA
2025-09-30
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2025-09-17
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC02
2025-09-08
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2025-09-08
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-05-19
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-10-22
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-08-12
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-10-19
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-06-15
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-10-26
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-07-12