ABA MARKET RESEARCH LIMITED
🌳Matureactive
04404540 · ltd · incorporated 2002-03-26
Investment thesis
Established operating company — standard diligence applies, no dominant angle.
Why interesting: Live, filing, normal profile.
Why risky: No standout signals in either direction.
Opportunity decay
approaching window · 12-months
Approaching a transaction window — refinance or sale event plausible in the next 12 months.
- · Oldest live charge 21.9y old — refinance window within 12 months
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Mar 2025
Net worth
£1.98M
book net assets
Opportunity
79/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: Market research and public opinion polling
Sector: Professional, scientific & technical
Investor take
PursueAsset-holding vehicle with a 86-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 79/100 (strong), bankability 85/100. Strong seller-intent signal (73/100, director aged 86). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (65/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
3 live charges · 2 lenders · oldest 21.9y
70/100
ready
Refinance conversation should be productive — structure clean and timing right.
- · Oldest live charge is 21.9 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Two lenders — manageable, but coordination required.
- · Legal-friction score 15/100 — clean.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (79/100)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
3 charges (3/3 with lender, 3/3 with type)
90
Directors & officers
7 officers (3 active, 7 linked, 3 with DOB)
79
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
2 connected companies via shared directors
51
Filing history
87 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
79/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
77
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 £1,983,582
Cash YoY
+55%
Year on year
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
£1.3m
↑ 55% YoY
Net Worth
£2.0m
↑ 5.3% YoY
Current Assets
£3.9m
↑ 8.9% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2025-03-31 | 2024-03-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £2.00M | £1.91M |
| Current assets | £3.91M | £3.59M |
| Cash | £1.27M | £818.3k |
| Debtors | £2.63M | £2.74M |
| Net assets | £1.98M | £1.88M |
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 persons-with-significant-control
Last 180 days
1
filing
- • 1 persons-with-significant-control
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (35 events)Click to expand
- 2026-04-21📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC05
- 2025-12-22📄accounts-with-accounts-type-mediumaccounts · AA
- 2025-11-18📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2025-11-18📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC02
- 2025-08-21📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2025-08-21📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2025-08-21📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2025-08-21🔓Charge satisfied #3
- 2025-08-21🔓Charge satisfied #2
- 2025-08-21🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 2024-12-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-12-18📄gazette-filings-brought-up-to-dategazette · DISS40
- 2024-12-17📄gazette-notice-compulsorygazette · GAZ1
- 2023-12-22📄accounts-with-accounts-type-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-12-23📄accounts-with-accounts-type-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-12-23📄accounts-with-accounts-type-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-08-04📄gazette-filings-brought-up-to-dategazette · DISS40
- 2021-08-03📄gazette-notice-compulsorygazette · GAZ1
- 2021-04-01📄accounts-with-accounts-type-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-12-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-fullaccounts · AA
- 2015-03-27➕BAINBRIDGE, David appointeddirector
- 2015-03-27➕NORRIS, Peter Jeremy appointeddirector
- 2011-09-12➖ANASTASIS, Michael resignedsecretary
- 2006-05-08➕ANASTASIS, Michael appointedsecretary
- 2006-05-08➖NORRIS, Peter resignedsecretary
- 2006-05-05🔒Charge registered #3Lender: Mcmullen and Sons Limited
- 2005-09-09🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Mcmullen & Sons Limited
- 2004-08-11🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Mcmullen & Sons Limited
- 2002-03-26🏢Company incorporatedAs ABA MARKET RESEARCH LIMITED
- 2002-03-26➕BAINBRIDGE, Alison appointeddirector
- 2002-03-26➕NORRIS, Peter appointedsecretary
- 2002-03-26➕ASHBURTON REGISTRARS LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2002-03-26➖ASHBURTON REGISTRARS LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2002-03-26➕AR NOMINEES LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-director
- 2002-03-26➖AR NOMINEES LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-director
Owner dependency
83/100
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
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 24 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 86 — succession pressure is live.
- +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.
Succession & seller-readiness
90/100
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 86 years old. Natural succession window is now.
- 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
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
Abamr2 Ltd is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.
🏛️ultimate parent
Abamr2 Ltd
Corporate parent · holds 75-100% shares · board control
⬇
ABA MARKET RESEARCH LIMITED
This company · 04404540
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Abamr2 Ltd Corporate entity | 75–100% | 75–100% | board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control | 06/04/2016 |
1 historic (ceased) PSC
- Miss Alison Bainbridgeceased 18/11/2025· significant influence · trust interest · firm interest
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
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A & D STAFFING LIMITED→ 15190122 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| ACLER8 LTD→ 16803070 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| ACORN DIRECT LIMITED→ 14527229 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| ACTIVE4LESS LTD→ 06883401 · est 2009 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 16y | — | — |
| ADAMS LAND AND PLANNING LTD→ 15132122 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT LTD→ 13052316 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| ADEBANKE TADE LIMITED→ 09143088 · est 2014 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 11y | — | — |
| ADENZA SOLUTIONS LIMITED→ 07373255 · est 2010 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 15y | — | — |
| ADRIAN WALLACE & CO LIMITED→ 13878196 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| ADVANCE CHANGE LTD→ 06763266 · est 2008 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 17y | — | — |
| AEROSYS LIMITED→ 06722033 · est 2008 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 17y | — | — |
| AFIH SERVICES LIMITED→ 16932409 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
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
Incorporated2002-03-26
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC73200 — Market research and public opinion polling
Registered office
First Floor Hart House
6 London Road
St Albans
AL1 1NG
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-12-31
Last made up to: 2025-03-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-10-04
Last: 2025-09-20
Officers (3 active · 4 resigned)
BAINBRIDGE, Alison→
Activedirector · ~60y · appointed 2002-03-26
View their other companies + combined net worth →
BAINBRIDGE, David→
Activedirector · ~86y · appointed 2015-03-27
View their other companies + combined net worth →
NORRIS, Peter Jeremy→
Activedirector · ~63y · appointed 2015-03-27
View their other companies + combined net worth →
ANASTASIS, Michael→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2006-05-08 · resigned 2011-09-12
NORRIS, Peter→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2002-03-26 · resigned 2006-05-08
ASHBURTON REGISTRARS LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2002-03-26 · resigned 2002-03-26
AR NOMINEES LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-director · appointed 2002-03-26 · resigned 2002-03-26
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
3
Total charges
0
Outstanding
0
Active lenders
Status:Lender:3 of 3 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| satisfied | Mcmullen and Sons Mcmullen and Sons Limited | Deed of rental deposit | 1 property | 05/05/2006 | 21/08/2025 | |
| satisfied | Mcmullen & Sons Mcmullen & Sons Limited | Deed of rental deposit | 1 property | 09/09/2005 | 21/08/2025 | |
| satisfied | Mcmullen & Sons Mcmullen & Sons Limited | Deed of rental deposit | 1 property | 11/08/2004 | 21/08/2025 |
Recent filings (87 total)
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC05
2026-04-21
accounts-with-accounts-type-medium
accounts · AA
2025-12-22
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2025-11-18
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC02
2025-11-18
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-10-01
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2025-08-21
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2025-08-21
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2025-08-21
accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2024-12-30
gazette-filings-brought-up-to-date
gazette · DISS40
2024-12-18
gazette-notice-compulsory
gazette · GAZ1
2024-12-17
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-12-16
accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2023-12-22
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-10-17
accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2022-12-23