ADVANCED PHOTONICS TECHNOLOGIES UK LIMITED
💤Zombieactive
04401501 · ltd · incorporated 2002-03-22
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 Dec 2024
Net worth
£-181.0k
book net assets
Opportunity
80/100
Exceptional
What this business does
Primary activity: Wholesale of other machinery and equipment
Sector: Wholesale & retail
Investor take
Pass (distressed without resilience)Distressed active trading company — structural issues outweigh the discount.
Opportunity 80/100 (exceptional), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (70/100, director aged 63). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Broaden director team. Sole director creates succession risk and reduces buyer comfort. Appoint a second director or strong #2. 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
6 officers (1 active, 6 linked, 3 with DOB)
80
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
76 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 · accounting standard not declaredNegative net assets
Liabilities exceed assets by £181,048
Cash YoY
-8%
Year on year
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
£67k
↓ 7.6% YoY
Net Worth
-£181k
↓ 45% YoY
Current Assets
£72k
↓ 1.3% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2024-12-31 | 2023-12-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £-181.0k | £-125.1k |
| Current assets | £72.0k | £72.9k |
| Cash | £67.0k | £72.5k |
| Debtors | £5.0k | £420 |
| Net assets | £-181.0k | £-125.1k |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
🔒Filing-note intelligence
2 signals 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 confirmation-statement
Last 180 days
1
filing
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (27 events)Click to expand
- 2025-04-07📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-06-19📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-06-19📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-04-01📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-05-12📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-08-14📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-03-24📍change-sail-address-company-with-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD02
- 2020-03-18📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2019-09-25📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-09-21📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2017-09-20📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2016-09-27📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2016-03-24📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2015-09-23📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2015-04-20📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2013-12-31➖PELLING, David Anthony resigneddirector
- 2009-08-13➖MITRE SECRETARIES LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2009-03-02➖GAUS, Rainer resigneddirector
- 2005-04-01➕PELLING, David Anthony appointeddirector
- 2002-07-26➕GEITNER, Andreas appointeddirector
- 2002-07-26➕GAUS, Rainer appointeddirector
- 2002-07-26➖MITRE DIRECTORS LIMITED resignedcorporate-director
- 2002-07-26➖MITRE SECRETARIES LIMITED resignedcorporate-director
- 2002-03-22🏢Company incorporatedAs ADVANCED PHOTONICS TECHNOLOGIES UK LIMITED
- 2002-03-22➕MITRE SECRETARIES LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2002-03-22➕MITRE DIRECTORS LIMITED appointedcorporate-director
- 2002-03-22➕MITRE SECRETARIES LIMITED appointedcorporate-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 24 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 63 — 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 63. 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 24 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 24 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
Adphos Innovative Technologies Gmbh is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.
🏛️ultimate parent
Adphos Innovative Technologies Gmbh
Corporate parent · holds 75-100% shares
⬇
ADVANCED PHOTONICS TECHNOLOGIES UK LIMITED
This company · 04401501
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Adphos Innovative Technologies Gmbh Corporate entity | 75–100% | 75–100% | 75-100% shares · 75-100% voting | 06/04/2016 |
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 434 ENTERPRISES LIMITED→ 05404769 · est 2005 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 21y | — | — |
| A C PREMIER FOODS UK LTD→ 11980130 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| A9 TECHNICAE LIMITED→ 13101701 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| ABINGDON WOOD YARD LTD→ 13530218 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| ACP QUALITY PRODUCE LIMITED→ 12550599 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| ADEPT STRATEGY LTD→ 08166835 · est 2012 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 13y | — | — |
| ADIPRO UK & EUROPE LTD→ 15635827 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| ADVANCED MEDICAL SYSTEMS LTD.→ 03476650 · est 1997 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 28y | — | — |
| ADVENT 3D LIMITED→ 12388745 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| ADVENT RESEARCH MATERIALS LIMITED→ 02273165 · est 1988 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 37y | — | — |
| AERO TRADING LTD→ 12189132 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| AES INDUSTRIAL SUPPLIES LTD→ 07988136 · est 2012 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 14y | — | — |
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
Incorporated2002-03-22
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC46690 — Wholesale of other machinery and equipment
Registered office
Boston House
Grove Business Park
Wantage
Oxfordshire
OX12 9FF
England
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-09-30
Last made up to: 2024-12-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-04-06
Last: 2026-03-23
Officers (1 active · 5 resigned)
GEITNER, Andreas→
Activedirector · ~63y · appointed 2002-07-26
View their other companies + combined net worth →
MITRE SECRETARIES LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2002-03-22 · resigned 2009-08-13
GAUS, Rainer→
Resigneddirector · ~62y · appointed 2002-07-26 · resigned 2009-03-02
PELLING, David Anthony→
Resigneddirector · ~80y · appointed 2005-04-01 · resigned 2013-12-31
MITRE DIRECTORS LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-director · appointed 2002-03-22 · resigned 2002-07-26
MITRE SECRETARIES LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-director · appointed 2002-03-22 · resigned 2002-07-26
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Recent filings (76 total)
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-03-25
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-04-07
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-03-24
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-06-19
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-03-25
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-06-19
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-03-27
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-04-01
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-03-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-05-12
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-03-23
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2020-08-14
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-03-24
change-sail-address-company-with-old-address-new-address
address · AD02
2020-03-24
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2020-03-18