ASHWORTH SOLUTIONS LTD
💤Zombieactive
05227856 · ltd · incorporated 2004-09-10
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 Oct 2025
Net worth
£56.0k
book net assets
Opportunity
80/100
Exceptional
What this business does
Primary activity: Information technology consultancy activities
Sector: Information & communication
Investor take
PursueAsset-holding vehicle with a 64-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 80/100 (exceptional), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (70/100, director aged 64). 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 (73/100).
Data confidence
Overall: medium (75/100)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
4 officers (2 active, 4 linked, 1 with DOB)
75
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 3 total, 3 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
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 £56,039
Net assets shrinking
Down £2,921 YoY
Cash YoY
+33%
Year on year
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
£40k
↑ 33% YoY
Net Worth
£56k
↓ 5.0% YoY
Current Assets
£40k
↑ 9.3% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2025-10-31 | 2024-10-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £60.9k | £65.5k |
| Current assets | £40.0k | £36.5k |
| Cash | £39.6k | £29.7k |
| Debtors | £347 | £6.8k |
| Net assets | £56.0k | £59.0k |
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
0
filings
Last 180 days
1
filing
- • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (23 events)Click to expand
- 2026-02-18📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2025-12-08📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2025-03-06📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-01-18📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-01-15📄change-account-reference-date-company-previous-extendedaccounts · AA01
- 2022-12-08📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-12-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-01-19📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-01-05📄gazette-filings-brought-up-to-dategazette · DISS40
- 2020-12-29📄gazette-notice-compulsorygazette · GAZ1
- 2019-12-02📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-08-10📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2019-01-25📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2019-01-24📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2018-12-10📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-10-03📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2004-11-03➕MCKINNON, Karen Margaret appointedsecretary
- 2004-11-03➕MCKINNON, David Stewart appointeddirector
- 2004-11-03➖FORM 10 SECRETARIES FD LTD resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2004-11-03➖FORM 10 DIRECTORS FD LTD resignedcorporate-nominee-director
- 2004-09-10🏢Company incorporatedAs ASHWORTH SOLUTIONS LTD
- 2004-09-10➕FORM 10 SECRETARIES FD LTD appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2004-09-10➕FORM 10 DIRECTORS FD LTD appointedcorporate-nominee-director
Owner dependency
93/100
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
- +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.
- +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 64 — approaching natural succession window.
Succession & seller-readiness
95/100
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 64. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
- 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
cleanNo 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| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr David Stewart Mckinnon Individual · British · DOB 05/1962 · age 64 | 50–75% | 50–75% | board control50-75% shares · 50-75% voting · board control | 01/07/2016 |
2 historic (ceased) PSCs
- Mr James David Mckinnonceased 01/12/2025· 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting
- Miss Sophie Shuttleworthceased 06/10/2017· 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
Similar companies
Active · Technology · CB postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | — | — |
| AUTOMATED MEASUREMENT SYSTEMS LIMITED→ 02949887 · est 1994 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 31y | — | — |
| AUTOMATIC LTD→ 10224558 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
| AUTOMATION SIMPLIFIED LTD→ 16368076 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| AVA ANALYTICS LIMITED→ 11975021 · est 2019 · 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
Incorporated2004-09-10
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC62020 — Information technology consultancy activities
Registered office
31 High Street
Haverhill
Suffolk
CB9 8AD
England
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2027-07-31
Last made up to: 2025-10-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-10-12
Last: 2025-09-28
Officers (2 active · 2 resigned)
MCKINNON, Karen Margaret→
Activesecretary · appointed 2004-11-03
View their other companies + combined net worth →
MCKINNON, David Stewart→
Activedirector · ~64y · appointed 2004-11-03
View their other companies + combined net worth →
FORM 10 SECRETARIES FD LTD→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2004-09-10 · resigned 2004-11-03
FORM 10 DIRECTORS FD LTD→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-director · appointed 2004-09-10 · resigned 2004-11-03
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Recent filings (65 total)
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2026-02-18
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2025-12-08
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-10-03
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-03-06
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-10-03
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-01-18
change-account-reference-date-company-previous-extended
accounts · AA01
2024-01-15
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-10-10
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-12-08
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-09-28
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-09-28
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-12-29
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-10-14
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-01-19
gazette-filings-brought-up-to-date
gazette · DISS40
2021-01-05