ACTIVE BRANDING LIMITED
🌳Matureactive
05780844 · ltd · incorporated 2006-04-13
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
approaching window · 12-months
Approaching a transaction window — refinance or sale event plausible in the next 12 months.
- · Oldest live charge 17.6y old — refinance window within 12 months
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Dec 2024
Net worth
£288.9k
book net assets
Opportunity
75/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: Advertising agencies
Sector: Professional, scientific & technical
Investor take
PursueStrong opportunity: active trading company with strong profile and bankable structure.
Opportunity 75/100 (strong), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (68/100, director aged 56). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Most likely exit: strategic trade sale (63/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
3 live charges · 2 lenders · oldest 17.6y
70/100
ready
Refinance conversation should be productive — structure clean and timing right.
- · Oldest live charge is 17.6 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Two lenders — manageable, but coordination required.
- · Legal-friction score 15/100 — clean.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (79/100)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
3 charges (3/3 with lender, 3/3 with type)
90
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
5 connected companies via shared directors
60
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
65
Some acquirability indicators.
Risk profile
77
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · FRS 105 (micro)Positive net assets
Net assets £288,948
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
—
Net Worth
£289k
↑ 11% YoY
Current Assets
£348k
↑ 14% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 105 (micro)| Metric | 2024-12-27 | 2023-12-27 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £288.9k | £259.3k |
| Current assets | £347.7k | £304.6k |
| Net assets | £288.9k | £259.3k |
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 confirmation-statement
Last 180 days
1
filing
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (29 events)Click to expand
- 2025-12-22📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2024-12-19📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2024-10-02📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2024-10-02📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2024-10-02🔓Charge satisfied #2
- 2024-10-02🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 2024-07-01📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2023-12-06📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-09-23📄change-account-reference-date-company-previous-shortenedaccounts · AA01
- 2022-10-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-09-29📄change-account-reference-date-company-previous-shortenedaccounts · AA01
- 2021-09-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-06-15📄change-account-reference-date-company-previous-extendedaccounts · AA01
- 2020-12-15📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2020-12-11🔒Charge registered #3Lender: Pamela Gaines
- 2020-03-26📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-03-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2018-10-09📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2018-03-26📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2008-12-05🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Svenska Handelsbanken Ab (Publ)
- 2008-12-05🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Svenska Handelsbanken Ab (Publ)
- 2006-06-01➕ARMITAGE, Angus Charles appointedsecretary
- 2006-06-01➕ARMITAGE, Angus Charles appointeddirector
- 2006-06-01➕BUTTON, Matthew Thomas Granville appointeddirector
- 2006-04-13🏢Company incorporatedAs ACTIVE BRANDING LIMITED
- 2006-04-13➕BRIGHTON SECRETARY LTD appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2006-04-13➖BRIGHTON SECRETARY LTD resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2006-04-13➕BRIGHTON DIRECTOR LTD appointedcorporate-nominee-director
- 2006-04-13➖BRIGHTON DIRECTOR LTD resignedcorporate-nominee-director
Owner dependency
68/100
High — earn-out structure requiredMaterial founder dependency. Consider a 2-3 year earn-out and build in a handover plan before completion.
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 20 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
Succession & seller-readiness
66/100
Strong succession signalMultiple signals suggest succession is on the horizon. Candidate for proactive outreach.
SIGNALS
- secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 20 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 20 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
1 med ·Charge satisfaction-then-recreation pattern
mediumMultiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.
Shareholders & ownership
2 active beneficial owners| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Angus Charles Armitage Individual · British · DOB 02/1971 · age 55 | 25–50% | 25–50% | 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting | 14/04/2016 |
Mr Matthew Thomas Granville Button Individual · British · DOB 02/1970 · age 56 | 25–50% | 25–50% | 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting | 14/04/2016 |
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
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AVERY FAIRBANK LIMITED→ 13604456 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| AVONDALE BS LTD→ 15890303 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| AXZEL SEARCH LIMITED→ 16088220 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| AYK3R STUDIO LTD→ 16316364 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| AZANDA LIMITED→ 11568695 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| B A CHAMBERS LIMITED→ 11039238 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 8y | — | — |
| BA1 CONSULTANTS LTD→ 16232997 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| BAGNA MARKETING LIMITED→ 15584825 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| BAILEY HUNTER LTD.→ 06615335 · est 2008 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 17y | — | — |
| BAILORAN LIMITED→ 07916921 · est 2012 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 14y | — | — |
| BAIWEST RECRUITMENT LTD→ 16074238 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| BAKER & CO LTD.→ 05723169 · est 2006 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 20y | — | — |
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions
6 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
Incorporated2006-04-13
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC73110 — Advertising agencies
Registered office
Unit 4, One Brewery Wharf
Waterloo Street
Leeds
West Yorkshire
LS10 1GX
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-09-27
Last made up to: 2024-12-27
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-04-27
Last: 2026-04-13
Officers (3 active · 2 resigned)
ARMITAGE, Angus Charles→
Activesecretary · appointed 2006-06-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
ARMITAGE, Angus Charles→
Activedirector · ~55y · appointed 2006-06-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
BUTTON, Matthew Thomas Granville→
Activedirector · ~56y · appointed 2006-06-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
BRIGHTON SECRETARY LTD→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2006-04-13 · resigned 2006-04-13
BRIGHTON DIRECTOR LTD→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-director · appointed 2006-04-13 · resigned 2006-04-13
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
3
Total charges
1
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:3 of 3 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Pamela Gaines | A registered charge | 1 property | 11/12/2020 | — | |
| satisfied | Svenska Handelsbanken Ab (Publ) | Deed of legal mortgage | 1 property | 05/12/2008 | 02/10/2024 | |
| satisfied | Svenska Handelsbanken Ab (Publ) | Debenture | 1 property | 05/12/2008 | 02/10/2024 |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (65 total)
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-04-16
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2025-12-22
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-04-15
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2024-12-19
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2024-10-02
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2024-10-02
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2024-07-01
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-04-26
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-12-06
change-account-reference-date-company-previous-shortened
accounts · AA01
2023-09-23
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-04-14
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-10-31
change-account-reference-date-company-previous-shortened
accounts · AA01
2022-09-29
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-05-06
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-09-30