55 DESIGN LTD

💤Zombieactive
05067390 · ltd · incorporated 2004-03-09
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 Aug 2025
Net worth
£798
book net assets
Opportunity
75/100
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: Artistic creation
Sector: Arts, entertainment & recreation
Investor take
Pursue
Strong opportunity: asset-holding vehicle with strong profile and bankable structure.

Opportunity 75/100 (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: 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 (58/100).

Data confidence

Overall: medium (76/100)

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
6 officers (1 active, 6 linked, 2 with DOB)
77
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
65 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
75/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

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

Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
60
Some acquirability indicators.
Risk profile
85
Few red flags.
Signal strength
90
Good data coverage for analysis.

Signals from accounts

Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declared
Positive net assets
Net assets £798
Net assets shrinking
Down £6,374 YoY

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
—
Net Worth
£798
↓ 89% YoY
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—
£0£11k£22k£32k£43k£54kAug 2024Aug 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown
Metric2025-08-312024-08-31
Total assets£13.5k£24.6k
Current assets—£53.8k
Debtors£37.2k£53.8k
Net assets£798£7.2k

Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.

🔒Filing-note intelligence

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

Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
1
filing
  • • 1 accounts
Last 180 days
2
filings
  • • 1 accounts
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (27 events)Click to expand
  1. 2026-05-21
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
    accounts · AA
  2. 2025-05-14
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
    accounts · AA
  3. 2024-05-08
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
    accounts · AA
  4. 2023-05-26
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
    accounts · AA
  5. 2022-07-11
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
    accounts · AA
  6. 2021-07-05
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
    accounts · AA
  7. 2020-06-30
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  8. 2020-06-05
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  9. 2019-05-10
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  10. 2018-05-22
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
    accounts · AA
  11. 2017-01-22
    📄
    capital-variation-of-rights-attached-to-shares
    capital · SH10
  12. 2017-01-22
    📄
    capital-allotment-shares
    capital · SH01
  13. 2017-01-22
    📄
    statement-of-companys-objects
    change-of-constitution · CC04
  14. 2017-01-22
    📄
    resolution
    resolution · RESOLUTIONS
  15. 2016-12-01
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  16. 2012-08-02
    ➖
    WENDOVER SECRETARIES LIMITED resigned
    corporate-secretary
  17. 2007-01-31
    ➖
    PURKISS WEBB, Matthew resigned
    director
  18. 2007-01-30
    ➖
    DEACON, Paul resigned
    secretary
  19. 2007-01-29
    ➕
    WENDOVER SECRETARIES LIMITED appointed
    corporate-secretary
  20. 2004-03-09
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As 55 DESIGN LTD
  21. 2004-03-09
    ➕
    DEACON, Paul appointed
    director
  22. 2004-03-09
    ➕
    DEACON, Paul appointed
    secretary
  23. 2004-03-09
    ➕
    TEMPLE SECRETARIES LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  24. 2004-03-09
    ➖
    TEMPLE SECRETARIES LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  25. 2004-03-09
    ➕
    PURKISS WEBB, Matthew appointed
    director
  26. 2004-03-09
    ➕
    COMPANY DIRECTORS LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-director
  27. 2004-03-09
    ➖
    COMPANY DIRECTORS LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-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 22 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.

Succession & seller-readiness

75/100
Likely off-market candidate

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

SIGNALS
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 22 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 22 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

clean
No red flags detected from available public data. (This is not a clean bill of health — detailed accounts review still recommended.)

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mr Paul Deacon
Individual · British · DOB 08/1972 · age 54
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 · Leisure & entertainment · SG postcode area
CompanyEst. valueTurnoverNet worthStaffAgeOppDirector
A.I.M. ACADEMY OF DANCE LIMITED→
10135174 · est 2016 · no financials extracted
————9y——
AB MOTORSPORT LTD→
12156421 · est 2019 · no financials extracted
————6y——
ABBEY CROSS ANGLING SOCIETY LIMITED→
05617105 · est 2005 · no financials extracted
————20y——
ACTIVE SOFTPLAY LTD→
12481869 · est 2020 · no financials extracted
————6y——
ADAPT DESIGN LTD→
07175878 · est 2010 · no financials extracted
————16y——
ADMIRAL COSTUMES LTD→
16698187 · est 2025 · no financials extracted
———————
ADORE HOLIDAYS LIMITED→
07504176 · est 2011 · no financials extracted
————15y——
ADULT PANTO LIMITED→
10937020 · est 2017 · no financials extracted
————8y——
ADVENTURE DRONE BIKER TOURS LTD→
15902706 · est 2024 · no financials extracted
————1y——
ADVENTURE PLAY LIMITED→
06977098 · est 2009 · no financials extracted
————16y——
AEC SOCIETY LIMITED→
05061592 · est 2004 · no financials extracted
————22y——
AEGLE INTUITIVE FITNESS LIMITED→
12447338 · est 2020 · no financials extracted
————6y——
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
Incorporated2004-03-09
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC90030 — Artistic creation

Registered office

Belfry House, Bell Lane
Hertford
Hertfordshire
SG14 1BP

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2027-05-31
Last made up to: 2025-08-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-03-23
Last: 2026-03-09

Officers (1 active · 5 resigned)

DEACON, Paul→
director · ~54y · appointed 2004-03-09
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
DEACON, Paul→
secretary · appointed 2004-03-09 · resigned 2007-01-30
Resigned
TEMPLE SECRETARIES LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2004-03-09 · resigned 2004-03-09
Resigned
WENDOVER SECRETARIES LIMITED→
corporate-secretary · appointed 2007-01-29 · resigned 2012-08-02
Resigned
PURKISS WEBB, Matthew→
director · ~54y · appointed 2004-03-09 · resigned 2007-01-31
Resigned
COMPANY DIRECTORS LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-director · appointed 2004-03-09 · resigned 2004-03-09
Resigned

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

Recent filings (65 total)

accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2026-05-21
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-03-14
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2025-05-14
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-03-12
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2024-05-08
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-03-12
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2023-05-26
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-03-10
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2022-07-11
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-03-10
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2021-07-05
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-03-15
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2020-06-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2020-06-05
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-03-20