BEAR LIMITED
💤Zombieactive
04491568 · ltd · incorporated 2002-07-22
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 Mar 2026
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
80/100
Exceptional
What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 99999
Sector: Extraterritorial bodies
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 68-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 80/100 (exceptional), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (83/100, director aged 68). 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: high (80/100)Strong data coverage across all sections. AI outputs should be trusted with minimal caveats.
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
4 officers (1 active, 4 linked, 1 with DOB)
75
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
10 connected companies via shared directors
75
Filing history
77 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.
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
—
Net Worth
—
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102| Metric | 2026-03-31 | 2025-03-31 |
|---|
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
Recent activity
Last 30 days
2
filings
- • 1 gazette
- • 1 dissolution
Last 90 days
3
filings
- • 1 gazette
- • 1 dissolution
- • 1 accounts
Last 180 days
3
filings
- • 1 gazette
- • 1 dissolution
- • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (24 events)Click to expand
- 2026-07-14📄gazette-notice-voluntarygazette · GAZ1(A)
- 2026-06-23📄dissolution-application-strike-off-companydissolution · DS01
- 2026-05-22📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2025-09-13📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2025-09-08📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2025-09-08📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2025-08-29📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2024-09-02📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2023-06-26📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2022-06-21📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2021-07-07📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2020-12-08📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2020-09-02📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2019-09-02📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2019-02-20📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2018-07-23📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2009-10-01➖GOODWINS ACCOUNTANTS LTD resignedcorporate-secretary
- 2002-08-06➕GOODWIN, Peter appointeddirector
- 2002-08-06➕GOODWINS ACCOUNTANTS LTD appointedcorporate-secretary
- 2002-07-25➖FORM 10 SECRETARIES FD LTD resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2002-07-25➖FORM 10 DIRECTORS FD LTD resignedcorporate-nominee-director
- 2002-07-22🏢Company incorporatedAs BEAR LIMITED
- 2002-07-22➕FORM 10 SECRETARIES FD LTD appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2002-07-22➕FORM 10 DIRECTORS FD LTD appointedcorporate-nominee-director
Owner dependency
100/100
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.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 68 — succession pressure is live.
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 68. 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.)
Shareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Peter Goodwin Individual · British · DOB 08/1958 · age 68 | 75–100% | — | 75-100% shares | 23/07/2016 |
1 historic (ceased) PSC
- Goodwins Accountants Limitedceased 23/07/2016· 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 · Other · CM postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASANTE HIKING LIMITED→ 13052935 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| BACCHUS DEVELOPMENTS LIMITED→ 09064246 · est 2014 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 11y | — | — |
| BARDWELL HOMES LTD→ 10002957 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 10y | — | — |
| BASILDON BUSINESS LEADERS CIC→ 15886793 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| BASILDON SECOND HAND RETAILERS LLP→ OC386257 · est 2013 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 12y | — | — |
| BATES PROPERTY SERVICES LLP→ OC439056 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| BAYERN CONSULTANTS LTD→ 05301291 · est 2004 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 21y | — | — |
| BEAR & CO EQUINE LLP→ OC435889 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| BEDSOFT LIMITED→ 06948612 · est 2009 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 16y | — | — |
| BELCOM ADMIN LLP→ OC357132 · est 2010 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 15y | — | — |
| BELFOREST LIMITED→ 04740789 · est 2003 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 22y | — | — |
| BENTLEY GROVE FINANCIAL SOLUTIONS LLP→ OC350175 · est 2009 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 16y | — | — |
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
Incorporated2002-07-22
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC99999 — SIC 99999
Registered office
5 Pincey Brook Drive
Dunmow
CM6 4DD
England
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2027-12-31
Last made up to: 2026-03-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-09-13
Last: 2025-08-30
Officers (1 active · 3 resigned)
GOODWIN, Peter→
Activedirector · ~68y · appointed 2002-08-06
View their other companies + combined net worth →
FORM 10 SECRETARIES FD LTD→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2002-07-22 · resigned 2002-07-25
GOODWINS ACCOUNTANTS LTD→
Resignedcorporate-secretary · appointed 2002-08-06 · resigned 2009-10-01
FORM 10 DIRECTORS FD LTD→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-director · appointed 2002-07-22 · resigned 2002-07-25
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Recent filings (77 total)
gazette-notice-voluntary
gazette · GAZ1(A)
2026-07-14
dissolution-application-strike-off-company
dissolution · DS01
2026-06-23
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2026-05-22
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2025-09-13
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-09-08
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2025-09-08
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2025-09-08
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2025-08-29
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2024-09-02
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-09-02
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-08-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2023-06-26
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-09-03
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2022-06-21
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-08-30