THE INVENTION COMPANY LIMITED

⚰️Wound downdissolved
04869768 · ltd · incorporated 2003-08-18
Investment thesis
Company dissolved — not a live target.
Why interesting: Historical record only; useful for precedent research.
Why risky: Not transactable.
🔒Estimated value
Upgrade to see
Turnover
not disclosed
Net worth
book net assets
Opportunity
58/100
Worth a look
🔔
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What this business does
Primary activity: Other business support service activities n.e.c.
Sector: Administrative & support services
Investor take
Pass (distressed without resilience)
Distressed unclear — structural issues outweigh the discount.

Opportunity 58/100 (worth a look), bankability 70/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Resolve: Company dissolved. Company has been dissolved — it no longer legally exists. Any diligence here is historical only. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (58/100).

Data confidence

Overall: medium (58/100)

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
No iXBRL financials extracted
0
Lenders & charges
Confirmed no charges registered
85
Directors & officers
5 officers (2 active, 5 linked, 2 with DOB)
78
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
10 connected companies via shared directors
75
Filing history
59 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
58/100Worth a look
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

Mixed signal. Worth opening the full target workup before deciding to pursue.

Business quality
30
Concerning — overdue filings or status flags present.
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
0
filings
Last 180 days
0
filings
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (30 events)Click to expand
  1. 2021-07-27
    📄
    gazette-dissolved-voluntary
    gazette · GAZ2(A)
  2. 2021-07-27
    🏁
    Company dissolved
  3. 2021-05-11
    📄
    gazette-notice-voluntary
    gazette · GAZ1(A)
  4. 2021-04-30
    📄
    dissolution-application-strike-off-company
    dissolution · DS01
  5. 2021-03-31
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  6. 2020-06-15
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  7. 2019-03-25
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  8. 2018-09-25
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  9. 2018-04-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  10. 2018-04-11
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  11. 2017-02-11
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  12. 2016-03-15
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  13. 2015-09-16
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  14. 2015-09-15
    📄
    appoint-corporate-secretary-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP04
  15. 2015-08-17
    KAC SERVICES LIMITED appointed
    corporate-secretary
  16. 2015-08-13
    📄
    accounts-amended-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AAMD
  17. 2014-09-23
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  18. 2014-09-19
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  19. 2014-06-04
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  20. 2014-02-05
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  21. 2014-01-04
    📄
    gazette-filings-brought-up-to-date
    gazette · DISS40
  22. 2014-01-03
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  23. 2011-07-31
    CLARK, Karen Ann resigned
    secretary
  24. 2010-01-07
    ROCHFORD, Craig Malcolm, Dr appointed
    director
  25. 2010-01-07
    CLARK, Karen Ann appointed
    secretary
  26. 2010-01-07
    WATLINGTON SECURITIES LIMITED resigned
    corporate-secretary
  27. 2010-01-07
    CLARK, Karen Ann resigned
    director
  28. 2003-08-18
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As THE INVENTION COMPANY LIMITED
  29. 2003-08-18
    WATLINGTON SECURITIES LIMITED appointed
    corporate-secretary
  30. 2003-08-18
    CLARK, Karen Ann appointed
    director

Owner dependency

85/100
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 16 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.

Succession & seller-readiness

68/100
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.
  • secondary12+ year tenure: Director in role 16 years.
  • 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 high ·
Company dissolved
high

Company has been dissolved — it no longer legally exists. Any diligence here is historical only.

Evidence: Dissolved on 2021-07-27

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Dr Craig Malcolm Rochford
Individual · British · DOB 04/1970 · age 56
75100%
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.

🔒Co-director network graph

Radial SVG graph showing every company connected via shared directors, colour-coded by status.

Available from the Pro tier upwards.

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Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
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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.

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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.

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Company details

Statusdissolved
Typeltd
Incorporated2003-08-18
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC82990 — Other business support service activities n.e.c.

Registered office

17 Carlton House Terrace
London
SW1Y 5AH
England

Filing status

Accounts
Next due:
Last made up to: 2020-08-31
Confirmation statement
Next due:
Last:

Officers (0 active · 3 resigned)

KAC SERVICES LIMITED
corporate-secretary · appointed 2015-08-17
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
ROCHFORD, Craig Malcolm, Dr
director · ~56y · appointed 2010-01-07
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
CLARK, Karen Ann
secretary · appointed 2010-01-07 · resigned 2011-07-31
Resigned
WATLINGTON SECURITIES LIMITED
corporate-secretary · appointed 2003-08-18 · resigned 2010-01-07
Resigned
CLARK, Karen Ann
director · ~77y · appointed 2003-08-18 · resigned 2010-01-07
Resigned

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

Recent filings (59 total)

gazette-dissolved-voluntary
gazette · GAZ2(A)
2021-07-27
gazette-notice-voluntary
gazette · GAZ1(A)
2021-05-11
dissolution-application-strike-off-company
dissolution · DS01
2021-04-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2021-03-31
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-08-19
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2020-06-15
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2019-08-22
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2019-03-25
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2018-09-25
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2018-08-20
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2018-04-30
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2018-04-11
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2017-08-19
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2017-02-11
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2016-08-24