COGENT RESEARCH LTD
🌳Matureactive
04955082 · ltd · incorporated 2003-11-06
Investment thesis
Well-run mature business — low negotiation leverage; premium likely.
Why interesting: Textbook target; clean filings, stable trading.
Why risky: No pressure on seller; any deal likely at full price.
Opportunity decay
hardening · 12-months
Already tight — no obvious softening catalysts on the horizon.
- · Thesis: well-run, low negotiation leverage
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Mar 2025
Net worth
£24.5k
book net assets
Opportunity
80/100
Exceptional
What this business does
Primary activity: Financial intermediation not elsewhere classified
Sector: Financial & insurance
Investor take
PursueAsset-holding vehicle with a 67-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 80/100 (exceptional), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (83/100, director aged 67). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Most likely exit: strategic trade sale (73/100).
Data confidence
Overall: medium (78/100)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
5 officers (3 active, 5 linked, 2 with DOB)
78
Ownership & PSC
2 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
1 connected companies via shared directors
48
Filing history
93 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.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declaredPositive net assets
Net assets £24,527
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
—
Net Worth
£25k
↑ 113% YoY
Current Assets
£20k
↑ 90% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2025-03-31 | 2024-03-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £25.5k | £12.5k |
| Current assets | £20.5k | £10.8k |
| Net assets | £24.5k | £11.5k |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
Recent activity
Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
0
filings
Last 180 days
1
filing
- • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (31 events)Click to expand
- 2025-12-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2025-03-31📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2025-03-31📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2025-03-31📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2025-03-31📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2025-03-31📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2025-03-31📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2025-03-31📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2025-03-31📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2025-03-31📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2025-03-31📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2025-03-31📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2025-03-31📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2025-03-31📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2025-03-28📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2025-03-28📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2025-03-28📄change-person-secretary-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH03
- 2025-03-28📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2025-03-28📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2025-03-28📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2024-12-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2024-06-21📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2024-06-21📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2006-08-20➕THOMAS, Susan Ann appointeddirector
- 2005-11-05➕THOMAS, Susan Ann appointedsecretary
- 2005-11-05➖JORDAN COMPANY SECRETARIES LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2003-11-06🏢Company incorporatedAs COGENT RESEARCH LTD
- 2003-11-06➕ORMROD, Noel John appointeddirector
- 2003-11-06➕JORDAN COMPANY SECRETARIES LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2003-11-06➕SWIFT INCORPORATIONS LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2003-11-06➖SWIFT INCORPORATIONS LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
Owner dependency
83/100
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
- +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 23 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 67 — succession pressure is live.
Succession & seller-readiness
86/100
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 67. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
- secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
- 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
cleanNo red flags detected from available public data. (This is not a clean bill of health — detailed accounts review still recommended.)
Shareholders & ownership
2 active beneficial owners| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Noel John Ormrod Individual · British · DOB 12/1959 · age 67 | 25–50% | 25–50% | 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting | 06/04/2016 |
Miss Susan Ann Thomas Individual · British · DOB 05/1966 · age 60 | 25–50% | 25–50% | 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting | 06/04/2016 |
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.
See pricing →Similar companies
Active · Financial services · TA postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CALLUNA ENTERPRISES LTD→ 07887084 · est 2011 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 14y | — | — |
| CENTURY WEALTH MANAGEMENT LTD→ 15434537 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| CLARK SHAW ASSOCIATES LIMITED→ 15118839 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| CLP SAFETY & TRAINING LIMITED→ 07042776 · est 2009 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 16y | — | — |
| COGENT PLANNING LTD→ 08703693 · est 2013 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 12y | — | — |
| COLLIS FINANCIAL SERVICES LIMITED→ 08447457 · est 2013 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 13y | — | — |
| COMMERCIAL MORTGAGE GROUP LIMITED→ 05845229 · est 2006 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 19y | — | — |
| CONNECT & PROTECT LIMITED→ 06943790 · est 2009 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 16y | — | — |
| COOKE FINANCIAL GROUP LIMITED→ 16723642 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| COOPER ASSOCIATES LIMITED→ 06760773 · est 2008 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 17y | — | — |
| COOPER ASSOCIATES WEALTH MANAGEMENT LIMITED→ 06890675 · est 2009 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 16y | — | — |
| CUSHION FINANCIAL LIMITED→ 11909130 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
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
Incorporated2003-11-06
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC64999 — Financial intermediation not elsewhere classified
Registered office
Cliff Barn Wardway
North Petherton
Taunton
Somerset
TA6 6PE
England
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-12-31
Last made up to: 2025-03-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-11-19
Last: 2025-11-05
Officers (3 active · 2 resigned)
Active
ORMROD, Noel John→
Activedirector · ~67y · appointed 2003-11-06
View their other companies + combined net worth →
THOMAS, Susan Ann→
Activedirector · ~60y · appointed 2006-08-20
View their other companies + combined net worth →
JORDAN COMPANY SECRETARIES LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2003-11-06 · resigned 2005-11-05
SWIFT INCORPORATIONS LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2003-11-06 · resigned 2003-11-06
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Recent filings (93 total)
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2025-12-31
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-11-05
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2025-03-31
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2025-03-31
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2025-03-31
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2025-03-31
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2025-03-31
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2025-03-31
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2025-03-31
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2025-03-31
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2025-03-31
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2025-03-31
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2025-03-31
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2025-03-31
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2025-03-31