AUTHOR UNLIMITED

💤Zombieactive
04779099 · private-unlimited · incorporated 2003-05-28
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
—
not disclosed
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
67/100
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: Other information technology service activities
Sector: Information & communication
ALSO REGISTERED FOR
  • 90030Artistic creation
Investor take
Pass (distressed without resilience)
Distressed active trading company — structural issues outweigh the discount.

Opportunity 67/100 (strong), bankability 65/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Resolve: Confirmation statement overdue. Annual confirmation statement not filed on time. Required statutory filing — overdue is a strong discipline signal. Most likely exit: strategic trade sale (65/100).

Data confidence

Overall: low (54/100)

Sparse data coverage. Treat AI-generated outputs as preliminary. Manual diligence essential.

Company profile
address, 2 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
No iXBRL financials extracted
0
Lenders & charges
Confirmed no charges registered
85
Directors & officers
2 officers (2 active, 2 linked, 1 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
38 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
67/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.

Business quality
60
Adequate — check latest filings for context.
Acquirability
60
Some acquirability indicators.
Risk profile
67
Some moderate concerns — review flags.
Signal strength
90
Good data coverage for analysis.

Recent activity

Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
2
filings
  • • 1 gazette
  • • 1 dissolution
Last 180 days
2
filings
  • • 1 gazette
  • • 1 dissolution
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (19 events)Click to expand
  1. 2026-06-16
    📄
    gazette-notice-voluntary
    gazette · GAZ1(A)
  2. 2026-06-06
    📄
    dissolution-application-strike-off-company
    dissolution · DS01
  3. 2016-06-24
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  4. 2015-06-22
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  5. 2014-06-24
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  6. 2013-06-23
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  7. 2012-06-22
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  8. 2011-06-24
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  9. 2010-06-23
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  10. 2010-06-23
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  11. 2009-06-25
    📄
    legacy
    annual-return · 363a
  12. 2008-06-12
    📄
    legacy
    annual-return · 363a
  13. 2008-06-12
    📍
    legacy
    address · 190
  14. 2008-06-12
    📍
    legacy
    address · 353
  15. 2008-06-11
    📄
    legacy
    officers · 288c
  16. 2007-06-26
    📄
    legacy
    officers · 288c
  17. 2003-05-28
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As AUTHOR UNLIMITED
  18. 2003-05-28
    ➕
    WILLIAMS, Julie Ann appointed
    secretary
  19. 2003-05-28
    ➕
    WILLIAMS, Richard James Graeme appointed
    director

Owner dependency

90/100
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.
  • +No director turnover: Company is 23 years old with no director changes — suggests a very tight-knit founder team never broadened.

Succession & seller-readiness

70/100
Strong succession signal

Multiple signals suggest succession is on the horizon. Candidate for proactive outreach.

SIGNALS
  • 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.

Red flags

1 high ·
Confirmation statement overdue
high

Annual confirmation statement not filed on time. Required statutory filing — overdue is a strong discipline signal.

Evidence: Next due: 2026-06-24

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mr Richard James Graeme Williams
Individual · British · DOB 10/1978 · age 48
75–100%
75–100%75-100% shares · 75-100% voting06/04/2016

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

Similar companies

Active · Technology · CB postcode area
CompanyEst. valueTurnoverNet worthStaffAgeOppDirector
ARMAN-MEDINI TECHNOLOGIES LTD→
16939973 · est 2026 · no financials extracted
———————
ATAMAI LABS LTD→
12001217 · est 2019 · no financials extracted
————6y——
ATELLIER LTD→
11259943 · est 2018 · no financials extracted
————8y——
ATHENOPHILIA LTD→
11867107 · est 2019 · no financials extracted
————7y——
ATJ CONSULTANTS LTD→
16529898 · est 2025 · no financials extracted
———————
AUGMENTRA LIMITED→
05682551 · est 2006 · no financials extracted
————20y——
AUGUST BRIDGE LTD→
13332516 · est 2021 · no financials extracted
————5y——
AURA TECHNICAL SOLUTIONS LTD→
07759668 · est 2011 · no financials extracted
————14y——
AUTO IC LIMITED→
16704431 · est 2025 · no financials extracted
———————
AUTOMATED MEASUREMENT SYSTEMS LIMITED→
02949887 · est 1994 · no financials extracted
————31y——
AUTOMATIC LTD→
10224558 · est 2016 · no financials extracted
————9y——
AUTOMATIC WORKS LTD→
16477970 · est 2025 · no financials extracted
———————
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
Typeprivate-unlimited
Incorporated2003-05-28
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC62090 — Other information technology service activities

Registered office

32 St Laurence Road, Foxton
Cambridge
Cambridgeshire
CB22 6SF

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: —
Last made up to: —
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-06-24OVERDUE
Last: 2025-06-10

Officers (2 active · 0 resigned)

WILLIAMS, Julie Ann→
secretary · appointed 2003-05-28
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
WILLIAMS, Richard James Graeme→
director · ~48y · appointed 2003-05-28
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active

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

Recent filings (38 total)

gazette-notice-voluntary
gazette · GAZ1(A)
2026-06-16
dissolution-application-strike-off-company
dissolution · DS01
2026-06-06
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-06-17
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-06-10
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-06-13
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-06-17
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-06-19
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-06-22
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2019-06-10
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2018-06-20
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2017-06-10
annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
annual-return · AR01
2016-06-24
annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
annual-return · AR01
2015-06-22
annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
annual-return · AR01
2014-06-24
annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
annual-return · AR01
2013-06-23