CATALYST NETWORKS LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
04422041 · ltd · incorporated 2002-04-22
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.
Why now
Window steady · low confidence
Steady and stalled — no momentum either way. Needs an approach trigger.
What changed my view
Last 30 days

No material changes in the last 30 days.

Last 90 days

No snapshot from 90 days ago — start tracking from today.

Last 180 days

No snapshot from 180 days ago — start tracking from today.

🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Mar 2025
Net worth
£12.1k
book net assets
Opportunity
82/100
Exceptional
🔔
Follow this company (free)
Email alerts on filings, charges, director changes, gazette notices. No account needed.

Unsubscribe any time from any email. GDPR-respectful.

🔒Generate AI memo →🔒Outreach pack →🔒Corporate story →📑 Reports →Sign in to watch
What this business does
Primary activity: Activities of head offices
Sector: Professional, scientific & technical
Investor take
Pursue
Active trading company with a 76-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 80/100. Strong seller-intent signal (83/100, director aged 76). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Discharge stale live charges. 1 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

1 live charge · oldest 22.4y

45/100
under pressure

Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.

  • · Oldest live charge is 22.4 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
  • · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.

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
1 charges (1/1 with lender, 1/1 with type)
90
Directors & officers
7 officers (1 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
74 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.

Signals from accounts

Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declared
Positive net assets
Net assets £12,143
Net assets shrinking
Down £1,867 YoY

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
—
Net Worth
£12k
↓ 13% YoY
Current Assets
£12k
↓ 14% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
£0£3k£6k£8k£11k£14kMar 2024Mar 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown
Metric2025-03-312024-03-31
Total assets£12.1k£14.0k
Current assets£12.2k£14.1k
Net assets£12.1k£14.0k

Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.

Recent activity

Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
0
filings
Last 180 days
0
filings
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (30 events)Click to expand
  1. 2025-09-23
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  2. 2025-04-02
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  3. 2024-10-07
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  4. 2023-11-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  5. 2022-08-17
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  6. 2022-04-11
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  7. 2022-04-10
    📄
    cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
  8. 2022-04-10
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  9. 2021-12-11
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  10. 2020-12-08
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  11. 2019-11-29
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  12. 2018-12-04
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  13. 2017-12-13
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  14. 2016-12-23
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  15. 2016-05-08
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  16. 2011-04-01
    ➕
    ELLIS, Alexander David appointed
    director
  17. 2011-03-31
    ➖
    ELLIS, David resigned
    director
  18. 2009-11-01
    ➖
    LAMPRELL, Robert Dominic, Director resigned
    director
  19. 2008-12-01
    ➕
    LAMPRELL, Robert Dominic, Director appointed
    director
  20. 2008-11-30
    ➖
    POOLE, Jonathan resigned
    secretary
  21. 2004-02-18
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: Hsbc Bank PLC
  22. 2003-04-20
    ➖
    ELLIS, Alexander David resigned
    secretary
  23. 2003-04-20
    ➕
    POOLE, Jonathan appointed
    secretary
  24. 2002-04-22
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As CATALYST NETWORKS LIMITED
  25. 2002-04-22
    ➕
    ELLIS, Alexander David appointed
    secretary
  26. 2002-04-22
    ➕
    CDF SECRETARIAL SERVICES LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  27. 2002-04-22
    ➖
    CDF SECRETARIAL SERVICES LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  28. 2002-04-22
    ➕
    ELLIS, David appointed
    director
  29. 2002-04-22
    ➕
    CDF FORMATIONS LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-director
  30. 2002-04-22
    ➖
    CDF FORMATIONS LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-director

Owner dependency

100/100
Critical — business is the founder

The 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 15 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 76 — succession pressure is live.

Succession & seller-readiness

98/100
Likely off-market candidate

Strong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.

SIGNALS
  • primaryFounder aged 70+: Senior director is approximately 76 years old. Natural succession window is now.
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • secondary12+ year tenure: Director in role 15 years.
  • 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

clean
No 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%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mr Alexander David Ellis
Individual · British · DOB 10/1950 · age 76
25–50%
75–100%board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control · firm interest01/06/2016
1 historic (ceased) PSC
  • Mrs Mary Elizabeth Ellisceased 06/04/2022· 25-50% 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 · Professional services · TN postcode area
CompanyEst. valueTurnoverNet worthStaffAgeOppDirector
AETHERLINE LIMITED→
16830884 · est 2025 · no financials extracted
———————
AFFIRM8 CONSULTANCY LTD→
14113680 · est 2022 · no financials extracted
————3y——
AFS CABLE LIMITED→
06650448 · est 2008 · no financials extracted
————17y——
AG RUSSELL PLANT HIRE LTD→
14707827 · est 2023 · no financials extracted
————3y——
AGE DIVERSITY NETWORK LTD→
12040184 · est 2019 · no financials extracted
————6y——
AGENSIA LTD→
16833575 · est 2025 · no financials extracted
———————
AGILE ALEX LTD→
15143112 · est 2023 · no financials extracted
————2y——
AGILE CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT LIMITED→
13881645 · est 2022 · no financials extracted
————4y——
AHP ARCHITECTS AND SURVEYORS LIMITED→
04360472 · est 2002 · no financials extracted
————24y——
AIDAN POTTER DESIGN STUDIO LTD→
15147979 · est 2023 · no financials extracted
————2y——
AIDOS ACCOUNTING LIMITED→
09920406 · est 2015 · no financials extracted
————10y——
AIM SUSTAIN LTD→
14517994 · est 2022 · no financials extracted
————3y——
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
Incorporated2002-04-22
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC70100 — Activities of head offices

Registered office

20 Mountfield Gardens
Tunbridge Wells
Kent
TN1 1SJ
England

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-12-31
Last made up to: 2025-03-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-10-22
Last: 2025-10-08

Officers (1 active · 6 resigned)

ELLIS, Alexander David→
director · ~76y · appointed 2011-04-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
ELLIS, Alexander David→
secretary · appointed 2002-04-22 · resigned 2003-04-20
Resigned
POOLE, Jonathan→
secretary · appointed 2003-04-20 · resigned 2008-11-30
Resigned
CDF SECRETARIAL SERVICES LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2002-04-22 · resigned 2002-04-22
Resigned
ELLIS, David→
director · ~51y · appointed 2002-04-22 · resigned 2011-03-31
Resigned
LAMPRELL, Robert Dominic, Director→
director · ~49y · appointed 2008-12-01 · resigned 2009-11-01
Resigned
CDF FORMATIONS LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-director · appointed 2002-04-22 · resigned 2002-04-22
Resigned

Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.

Mortgages & charges

1
Total charges
1
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:1 of 1 shown
TypeProperties
outstanding
HSBC
Hsbc Bank PLC
Debenture1 property18/02/2004—
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (74 total)

confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-10-08
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2025-09-23
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-04-02
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2025-04-02
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2024-10-07
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-04-10
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2023-11-30
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-04-13
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2022-08-17
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2022-04-11
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-04-10
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2022-04-10
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2022-04-10
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2021-12-11
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-04-09