ACORN LABORATORY LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
04695651 · ltd · incorporated 2003-03-12
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 2025
Net worth
£223
book net assets
Opportunity
79/100
Strong
🔔
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: Dental practice activities
Sector: Human health & social work
Investor take
Pursue
Strong opportunity: asset-holding vehicle with strong profile and bankable structure.

Opportunity 79/100 (strong), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (70/100, director aged 58). 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 (75/100)

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
4 officers (1 active, 4 linked, 1 with DOB)
75
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
66 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
82
Few red flags.
Signal strength
90
Good data coverage for analysis.

Signals from accounts

Derived from iXBRL accounts · FRS 105 (micro)
Positive net assets
Net assets £223
Net assets shrinking
Down £318 YoY

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
—
Net Worth
£223
↓ 59% YoY
Current Assets
£20k
↓ 4.4% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
£0£4k£8k£12k£16k£21kMar 2024Mar 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 105 (micro)
Metric2025-03-312024-03-31
Total assets£2.2k£2.7k
Current assets£19.7k£20.6k
Net assets£223£541

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
2
filings
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
  • • 1 officers
Last 180 days
3
filings
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
  • • 1 officers
  • • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (23 events)Click to expand
  1. 2026-03-26
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  2. 2026-01-26
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  3. 2025-09-16
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  4. 2025-09-15
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  5. 2024-12-29
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  6. 2023-12-21
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  7. 2023-01-12
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  8. 2021-12-21
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  9. 2021-01-17
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  10. 2019-12-23
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  11. 2019-03-27
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  12. 2019-03-05
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  13. 2018-12-13
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  14. 2017-12-22
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  15. 2017-07-11
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  16. 2014-03-01
    ➖
    HOLLAND, Tracy resigned
    secretary
  17. 2003-03-12
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As ACORN LABORATORY LIMITED
  18. 2003-03-12
    ➕
    HOLLAND, Richard Michael appointed
    director
  19. 2003-03-12
    ➕
    HOLLAND, Tracy appointed
    secretary
  20. 2003-03-12
    ➕
    GRANT SECRETARIES LIMITED appointed
    corporate-secretary
  21. 2003-03-12
    ➖
    GRANT SECRETARIES LIMITED resigned
    corporate-secretary
  22. 2003-03-12
    ➕
    GRANT DIRECTORS LIMITED appointed
    corporate-director
  23. 2003-03-12
    ➖
    GRANT DIRECTORS LIMITED resigned
    corporate-director

Owner dependency

93/100
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 23 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 58 — approaching natural succession window.

Succession & seller-readiness

85/100
Likely off-market candidate

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

SIGNALS
  • secondaryFounder aged 58+: Senior director is approximately 58. Early succession window.
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 23 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 23 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 low
Multiple registered office changes
low

Multiple address changes in a short period can indicate operational instability or admin disorder.

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mr Richard Michael Holland
Individual · British · DOB 07/1968 · age 58
75–100%
75–100%board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control06/04/2016

From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.

Similar companies

Active · Healthcare & medical · CO postcode area
CompanyEst. valueTurnoverNet worthStaffAgeOppDirector
1 OAK DAY CENTRE LIMITED→
11499901 · est 2018 · no financials extracted
————7y——
247MEDIPLUS LIMITED→
14759636 · est 2023 · no financials extracted
————3y——
A25 SOLUTIONS LTD→
12103393 · est 2019 · no financials extracted
————6y——
ABILITY PHYSIOTHERAPY LTD→
12064200 · est 2019 · no financials extracted
————6y——
ACCA CONSULTANCY PRIVATE LIMITED→
08960870 · est 2014 · no financials extracted
————12y——
ACE 24 INTERNATIONAL LTD→
12027884 · est 2019 · no financials extracted
————6y——
ACERBIS THERAPY LTD→
16168242 · est 2025 · no financials extracted
————1y——
ACK HOUSE LTD→
14254535 · est 2022 · no financials extracted
————3y——
ACORN AUTISM SPECIALISTS LIMITED→
13511294 · est 2021 · no financials extracted
————4y——
ACORN CHASE CARE LTD→
16484774 · est 2025 · no financials extracted
———————
ACORN VILLAGES LIMITED→
01048360 · est 1972 · no financials extracted
————54y——
ACP ASSESSMENTS AND CONSULTANCY LTD→
16459586 · 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
Incorporated2003-03-12
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC86230 — Dental practice activities

Registered office

Unit 4 99 London Road
Stanway
Colchester
Essex
CO3 0NY
United Kingdom

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-12-31
Last made up to: 2025-03-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-03-26
Last: 2026-03-12

Officers (1 active · 3 resigned)

HOLLAND, Richard Michael→
director · ~58y · appointed 2003-03-12
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
HOLLAND, Tracy→
secretary · appointed 2003-03-12 · resigned 2014-03-01
Resigned
GRANT SECRETARIES LIMITED→
corporate-secretary · appointed 2003-03-12 · resigned 2003-03-12
Resigned
GRANT DIRECTORS LIMITED→
corporate-director · appointed 2003-03-12 · resigned 2003-03-12
Resigned

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

Recent filings (66 total)

confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-03-26
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2026-03-26
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2026-01-26
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2025-09-16
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2025-09-15
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-04-02
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2024-12-29
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-04-02
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2023-12-21
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-04-04
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2023-01-12
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-03-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2021-12-21
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-04-23
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2021-01-17