CAIRNS PHARMA LIMITED
Opportunity 77/100 (strong), bankability 75/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. 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 (58/100).
Refinance opportunity
2 live charges · 2 lenders · oldest 20.6y
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 20.6 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Two lenders — manageable, but coordination required.
- · 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.
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsHover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102| Metric | 2024-10-31 | 2023-10-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Average employees | 0 | 0 |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
1 signal 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
Corporate timeline (27 events)Click to expand
- 2025-07-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2024-03-19📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2023-05-17📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2022-07-25📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2021-07-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-08-25📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-08-22📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-06-21📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2017-08-03📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2016-08-02📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2015-11-04📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2015-07-14📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2014-10-20📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2014-07-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2010-11-16🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 2010-11-10➕ASHRAF, Zia appointeddirector
- 2010-11-10➖CAIRNS, Lesley Jane resignedsecretary
- 2010-11-10➖CAIRNS, Duncan George resigneddirector
- 2010-11-10🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Santander UK PLC
- 2005-12-02🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Hsbc Bank PLC
- 2003-10-22➕CAIRNS, Lesley Jane appointedsecretary
- 2003-10-22➕CAIRNS, Duncan George appointeddirector
- 2003-10-14🏢Company incorporatedAs CAIRNS PHARMA LIMITED
- 2003-10-14➕HCS SECRETARIAL LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2003-10-14➖HCS SECRETARIAL LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2003-10-14➕HANOVER DIRECTORS LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-director
- 2003-10-14➖HANOVER DIRECTORS LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-director
Owner dependency
The business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.
- +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
Multiple signals suggest succession is on the horizon. Candidate for proactive outreach.
- 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
cleanGroup structure
Hmi Healthcare Ltd is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.
Parent relationships inferred from Persons with Significant Control filings. Full subsidiary tree requires reverse-lookup (coming).
Shareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Hmi Healthcare Ltd Corporate entity | 75–100% | 75–100% | board controlsig. influence75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control · significant influence · firm interest | 01/07/2016 |
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
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 · PR postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BAMFORD DEPARTMENT LTD→ 08511312 · est 2013 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 12y | — | — |
| BEE MILL STUDIOS LTD→ 13107805 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| BETTER DOORS LTD→ 11083363 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 8y | — | — |
| BRIGGAID LIMITED→ 11857823 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| BRINKMANN MAY LIMITED→ 11430274 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| BURY STAIRLIFTS LIMITED→ 10304763 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
| BUTTERMILK FALLS INVESTMENTS LIMITED→ 06335515 · est 2007 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 18y | — | — |
| CAR MARKS LIMITED→ 03684081 · est 1998 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 27y | — | — |
| CAR NUMBERS LIMITED→ 03637473 · est 1998 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 27y | — | — |
| CAR PLATES LIMITED→ 03685363 · est 1998 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 27y | — | — |
| CAREICON (IP) LIMITED→ 09016980 · est 2014 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 11y | — | — |
| CAREICON FOUNDATION LIMITED→ 09219926 · est 2014 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 11y | — | — |
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 →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
Registered office
Filing status
Officers (1 active · 4 resigned)
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Santander Santander UK PLC | Third party legal and general charge | 1 property | 10/11/2010 | — | |
| satisfied | HSBC Hsbc Bank PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 02/12/2005 | 16/11/2010 |