3RD LIGHT LIMITED
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 (78/100)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 · IFRS| Metric | 2024-09-30 | 2023-09-30 |
|---|---|---|
| Average employees | 1700 | — |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
2 signals 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 (19 events)Click to expand
- 2025-06-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-06-27📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-06-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-06-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-09-20📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2021-09-20📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2021-06-16📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-06-04📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-09-27📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2019-09-27📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC02
- 2019-06-18📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2019-06-07📄capital-allotment-sharescapital · SH01
- 2018-09-27📄termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM02
- 2018-09-20➖FRASER, Fiona Frances resignedsecretary
- 2018-06-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2017-06-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2004-09-20🏢Company incorporatedAs 3RD LIGHT LIMITED
- 2004-09-20➕ROSE, James Christopher appointeddirector
- 2004-09-20➕FRASER, Fiona Frances appointedsecretary
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 22 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
Succession & seller-readiness
Strong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
- 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
cleanGroup structure
3rd Light Holdings Limited 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
3rd Light Holdings Limited Corporate entity | 75–100% | 75–100% | 75-100% shares · 75-100% voting | 01/06/2019 |
1 historic (ceased) PSC
- James Christopher Roseceased 01/06/2019· 75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control
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
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| 1-VIA LTD→ 12363661 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| 2 SISTERS PRINTING LTD→ 15122354 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| 2020 BESPOKE LTD→ 13368085 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| 24RCOUK LTD→ 07491263 · est 2011 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 15y | — | — |
| 3D RAPID PRINT LIMITED→ 10605967 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
| 3M UNITED KINGDOM PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY→ 01123045 · est 1973 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 52y | — | — |
| 3SHAPE UK LIMITED→ 13812145 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| 3T ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING LIMITED→ 03333366 · est 1997 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 29y | — | — |
| 3T ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING POLYMERS LTD→ 12685978 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| 442 EVENTS LIMITED→ 05811625 · est 2006 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 19y | — | — |
| 4FRONT ELECTRICAL LTD→ 10500380 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
| 50HZ ELECTRICAL LIMITED→ 15744927 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
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 · 1 resigned)
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