EQUILIBRIUM NETWORK LIMITED
💤Zombieactive
06567998 · ltd · incorporated 2008-04-16
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 Apr 2025
Net worth
£-126.8k
book net assets
Opportunity
82/100
Exceptional
What this business does
Primary activity: Other education n.e.c.
Sector: Education
Investor take
Pass (distressed without resilience)Distressed active trading company — structural issues outweigh the discount.
Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 85/100. Strong seller-intent signal (70/100, director aged 63). 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).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
1 live charge · oldest 15.6y
45/100
under pressure
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 15.6 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
- · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.
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
1 charges (1/1 with lender, 1/1 with type)
90
Directors & officers
4 officers (2 active, 4 linked, 1 with DOB)
75
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
44 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
82/100Exceptional
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
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · FRS 102Negative net assets
Liabilities exceed assets by £126,760
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
—
Net Worth
-£127k
↓ 8.5% YoY
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102| Metric | 2025-04-30 | 2024-04-30 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £-114.2k | £-99.1k |
| Debtors | — | £204 |
| Net assets | £-126.8k | £-116.8k |
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
2
filings
- • 1 confirmation-statement
- • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (24 events)Click to expand
- 2026-01-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2025-01-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-04-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-01-27📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-03-04📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-01-15📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-02-03📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2020-02-03🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 2020-01-13📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-01-24📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-01-26📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2017-01-11📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2016-04-27📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2016-01-20📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2015-05-20📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2015-01-25📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2010-12-03🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Foundation East Limited
- 2008-04-16🏢Company incorporatedAs EQUILIBRIUM NETWORK LIMITED
- 2008-04-16➕GILBERT, Christine Anne appointedsecretary
- 2008-04-16➕GILBERT, Richard Anthony appointeddirector
- 2008-04-16➕GRANT, Michele Sara appointedsecretary
- 2008-04-16➖GRANT, Michele Sara resignedsecretary
- 2008-04-16➕WREN ACCOUNTING LIMITED appointedcorporate-director
- 2008-04-16➖WREN ACCOUNTING LIMITED resignedcorporate-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 18 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 63 — approaching natural succession window.
Succession & seller-readiness
88/100
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 63. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
- primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
- secondary12+ year tenure: Director in role 18 years.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 18 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 · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Richard Anthony Gilbert Individual · British · DOB 05/1963 · age 63 | 75–100% | 75–100% | board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control | 06/04/2016 |
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
Similar companies
Active · Education & training · AL postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EGEAN EDUCATION LIMITED→ 14477063 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| EMMA HUNT PERSONAL TRAINING LTD→ 11858016 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| EMOTIONALLY FOCUSED TRAINING LTD→ 12297295 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| EXAM WHISPERER LTD→ 16527518 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| FIRST ON SCENE MEDICAL LTD→ 13611947 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| FOOTSTEPS 123 LTD→ 10602962 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
| FUTURE IS FOREVER CIC→ 17103543 · est 2026 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| FUTURESCOOL LTD→ 15116883 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| G K ICON ACADEMIES LIMITED→ 12406625 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| G MASON HOLDINGS LTD→ 15379115 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| GAMES LEADERSHIP ACADEMY LIMITED→ 14832057 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| GARDEN CITY ARTS LIMITED→ 09004370 · est 2014 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 11y | — | — |
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
Incorporated2008-04-16
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC85590 — Other education n.e.c.
Registered office
Wren House
68 London Road
St Albans
Hertfordshire
AL1 1NG
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2027-01-31
Last made up to: 2025-04-30
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-05-26
Last: 2026-05-12
Officers (2 active · 2 resigned)
GILBERT, Christine Anne→
Activesecretary · appointed 2008-04-16
View their other companies + combined net worth →
GILBERT, Richard Anthony→
Activedirector · ~63y · appointed 2008-04-16
View their other companies + combined net worth →
GRANT, Michele Sara→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2008-04-16 · resigned 2008-04-16
WREN ACCOUNTING LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-director · appointed 2008-04-16 · resigned 2008-04-16
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
1
Total charges
0
Outstanding
0
Active lenders
Status:Lender:1 of 1 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| satisfied | Foundation East Foundation East Limited | Debenture | 1 property | 03/12/2010 | 03/02/2020 |
Recent filings (44 total)
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-05-12
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2026-01-29
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-05-15
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-01-31
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-05-02
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-04-30
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-04-21
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-01-27
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-04-19
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-03-04
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-04-19
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-01-15
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-04-17
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2020-02-03
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2020-01-13