ACORNDRIFT LIMITED
🌳Matureactive
04167034 · ltd · incorporated 2001-02-23
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
—
not disclosed
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
78/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: Pre-primary education
Sector: Education
Investor take
PursueStrong opportunity: active trading company with strong profile and bankable structure.
Opportunity 78/100 (strong), bankability 77/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 4 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (65/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
4 live charges · 4 lenders · oldest 25.1y
35/100
too messy
Refinance path is blocked by complexity. Rethink structure or expect bespoke, expensive terms.
- · Oldest live charge is 25.1 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · 4 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
- · Legal-friction score 38/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (61/100)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
30 officers (3 active, 30 linked, 22 with DOB)
85
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
15 connected companies via shared directors
90
Filing history
166 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
78/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
75
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
77
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
Recent activity
Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
2
filings
- • 1 confirmation-statement
- • 1 officers
Last 180 days
2
filings
- • 1 confirmation-statement
- • 1 officers
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (88 events)Click to expand
- 2026-03-25📄replacement-filing-of-director-appointment-with-nameofficers · RP01AP01
- 2025-07-31📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC05
- 2025-07-31📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2025-06-19📄accounts-with-accounts-type-audit-exemption-subsiduaryaccounts · AA
- 2025-06-19📄legacyaccounts · PARENT_ACC
- 2025-06-19📄legacyother · GUARANTEE2
- 2025-06-19📄legacyother · GUARANTEE2
- 2025-06-19📄legacyother · AGREEMENT2
- 2025-04-04📄appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP03
- 2025-04-03📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2025-04-03📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2025-04-03📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2025-04-03📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2025-04-03📄termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM02
- 2025-04-02➕BUTLER, John Francis appointedsecretary
- 2025-04-02➕SMITH, Philip John appointeddirector
- 2025-04-02➖KRAMER, Stephen resignedsecretary
- 2025-04-02➖BOLAND, Elizabeth resigneddirector
- 2025-04-02➖CASAGRANDE, John Guy resigneddirector
- 2025-04-02➖MARSHALL, Rosamund Margaret resigneddirector
- 2024-07-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-audit-exemption-subsiduaryaccounts · AA
- 2024-07-29📄legacyaccounts · PARENT_ACC
- 2024-07-29📄legacyother · GUARANTEE2
- 2024-07-29📄legacyother · AGREEMENT2
- 2023-11-06📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC05
- 2023-10-23📄accounts-with-accounts-type-audit-exemption-subsiduaryaccounts · AA
- 2023-10-23📄legacyaccounts · PARENT_ACC
- 2023-10-23📄legacyother · GUARANTEE2
- 2022-05-02➕BUTLER, John Francis appointeddirector
- 2022-04-29➖FEE, Gary Ryan resigneddirector
- 2020-04-16➕CASAGRANDE, John Guy appointeddirector
- 2020-04-16➕FEE, Gary Ryan appointeddirector
- 2020-04-16➕MARSHALL, Rosamund Margaret appointeddirector
- 2020-04-13➖DREIER, Stephen resigneddirector
- 2020-04-13➖LISSY, Dave resigneddirector
- 2020-04-13➖TUGENDHAT, James Walter resigneddirector
- 2017-12-16🔓Charge satisfied #4
- 2016-12-01➖MORRIS, Andrew Terry resigneddirector
- 2016-11-10➕KRAMER, Stephen appointedsecretary
- 2016-11-10➕BOLAND, Elizabeth appointeddirector
- 2016-11-10➕DREIER, Stephen appointeddirector
- 2016-11-10➕LISSY, Dave appointeddirector
- 2016-11-10➕TUGENDHAT, James Walter appointeddirector
- 2016-11-09➖SAGE, Adam David resignedsecretary
- 2011-10-14➖SAGE, Adam David resigneddirector
- 2011-09-05➕SAGE, Adam David appointeddirector
- 2011-03-09🔓Charge satisfied #3
- 2010-02-01➕SAGE, Adam David appointedsecretary
- 2010-01-31➖YARROW, Nicholas John resignedsecretary
- 2010-01-31➖YARROW, Nicholas John resigneddirector
Showing most recent 50 of 88 events
Owner dependency
66/100
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.
- +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 59 — approaching natural succession window.
Succession & seller-readiness
46/100
Moderate signalSome succession indicators present. Worth watching; approach if sector/strategy fits.
SIGNALS
- secondaryFounder aged 58+: Senior director is approximately 59. Early succession window.
- secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
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.
Group structure
Acorndrive Limited is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.
🏛️ultimate parent
Acorndrive Limited
Corporate parent · holds 75-100% shares · board control
⬇
ACORNDRIFT LIMITED
This company · 04167034
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Acorndrive Limited Corporate entity | 75–100% | 75–100% | board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control · firm interest | 17/02/2017 |
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 · Education & training · NN postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A BATTY ENTERPRISES LTD→ 06407422 · est 2007 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 18y | — | — |
| A M J DRIVING SCHOOL LTD→ 16284788 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| A.C. MAYES LIMITED→ 10173679 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
| AA ACADEMIC NETWORK SOLUTIONS LTD→ 15212521 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| ABILITA LTD→ 12729055 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| ABOUT CONSULTING GROUP LTD→ 05766632 · est 2006 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 20y | — | — |
| ACADEMIC EXPERTS LTD→ 13301297 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| ACADEMIC INSIGHTS CONSULTANCY LTD→ 16028069 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| ACE BLS LIMITED→ 08511348 · est 2013 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 12y | — | — |
| ACOSMETICS TRAINING LTD→ 16125824 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| ACTIVE8 LEARNING LTD→ 14973384 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| ADHD & ASD WORLD LTD→ 17009571 · est 2026 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
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
Incorporated2001-02-23
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC85100 — Pre-primary education
Registered office
Britannia House
3-5 Rushmills
Northampton
NN4 7YB
England
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-09-30
Last made up to: 2024-12-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-03-03
Last: 2026-02-17
Officers (3 active · 27 resigned)
BUTLER, John Francis→
Activesecretary · appointed 2025-04-02
View their other companies + combined net worth →
BUTLER, John Francis→
Activedirector · ~59y · appointed 2022-05-02
View their other companies + combined net worth →
SMITH, Philip John→
Activedirector · ~58y · appointed 2025-04-02
View their other companies + combined net worth →
HAND, Jeremy→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2001-05-08 · resigned 2001-05-09
HENDRIE, Neal Malcolm→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2004-10-31 · resigned 2008-02-01
KRAMER, Stephen→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2016-11-10 · resigned 2025-04-02
RING, Ronald Arthur→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2001-05-09 · resigned 2004-10-31
SAGE, Adam David→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2010-02-01 · resigned 2016-11-09
YARROW, Nicholas John→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2008-02-01 · resigned 2010-01-31
CLIFFORD CHANCE SECRETARIES LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2001-02-23 · resigned 2001-05-08
AUGHTERSON, Peter William→
Resigneddirector · ~63y · appointed 2001-05-09 · resigned 2002-11-11
AYLWIN, Andrew Richard→
Resigneddirector · ~56y · appointed 2001-05-08 · resigned 2001-05-09
BOLAND, Elizabeth→
Resigneddirector · ~67y · appointed 2016-11-10 · resigned 2025-04-02
CASAGRANDE, John Guy→
Resigneddirector · ~68y · appointed 2020-04-16 · resigned 2025-04-02
CROSS, Jean→
Resigneddirector · ~77y · appointed 2001-05-09 · resigned 2005-12-31
DREIER, Stephen→
Resigneddirector · ~84y · appointed 2016-11-10 · resigned 2020-04-13
FEE, Gary Ryan→
Resigneddirector · ~56y · appointed 2020-04-16 · resigned 2022-04-29
FORD, Russell Mark→
Resigneddirector · ~63y · appointed 2005-12-31 · resigned 2008-11-27
HAND, Jeremy→
Resigneddirector · ~65y · appointed 2001-05-08 · resigned 2001-05-09
HENDRIE, Neal Malcolm→
Resigneddirector · ~71y · appointed 2006-02-01 · resigned 2007-08-01
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
4
Total charges
0
Outstanding
0
Active lenders
Status:Lender:4 of 4 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| satisfied | Kaupthing Bank Hf | A target debenture | 1 property | 28/06/2007 | 16/12/2017 | |
| satisfied | HSBC Hsbc Bank PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 13/12/2006 | 09/03/2011 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland (As Security Agent for the Beneficiaries) | Debenture | 1 property | 11/06/2002 | 20/01/2007 | |
| satisfied | Dresdner Bank Ag | Debenture between, inter alia, chestnutbay limited (the "parent") the company and dresdner bank ag, london branch (the "security agent") | 1 property | 10/05/2001 | 20/06/2002 |
Recent filings (166 total)
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-04-16
replacement-filing-of-director-appointment-with-name
officers · RP01AP01
2026-03-25
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC05
2025-07-31
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2025-07-31
accounts-with-accounts-type-audit-exemption-subsiduary
accounts · AA
2025-06-19
legacy
accounts · PARENT_ACC
2025-06-19
legacy
other · GUARANTEE2
2025-06-19
legacy
other · GUARANTEE2
2025-06-19
legacy
other · AGREEMENT2
2025-06-19
appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-date
officers · AP03
2025-04-04
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2025-04-03
appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
officers · AP01
2025-04-03
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2025-04-03
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2025-04-03
termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM02
2025-04-03