APPLIED ACOUSTICS-VENABLES LIMITED
💤Zombieactive
07107959 · ltd · incorporated 2009-12-18
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
—
not disclosed
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
80/100
Exceptional
What this business does
Primary activity: Other business support service activities n.e.c.
Sector: Administrative & support services
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 66-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 80/100 (exceptional), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (83/100, director aged 66). 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 (59/100)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
No iXBRL financials extracted
0
Lenders & charges
Confirmed no charges registered
85
Directors & officers
3 officers (1 active, 3 linked, 3 with DOB)
90
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
8 connected companies via shared directors
69
Filing history
44 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.
Recent activity
Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
0
filings
Last 180 days
0
filings
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (21 events)Click to expand
- 2026-01-12📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2026-01-12📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2025-10-06📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2025-02-07📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2024-03-21📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2023-03-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2021-12-15📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-04-26📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-02-26📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2019-11-05➖VENABLES, Richard Paul resigneddirector
- 2019-10-17📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2019-03-11📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2018-03-22📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2017-03-21📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2016-03-17📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2016-01-13📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2010-01-06➕VENABLES, Charles James appointeddirector
- 2010-01-06➖VAUGHAN, David James resigneddirector
- 2010-01-06➕VENABLES, Richard Paul appointeddirector
- 2009-12-18🏢Company incorporatedAs APPLIED ACOUSTICS-VENABLES LIMITED
- 2009-12-18➕VAUGHAN, David James appointeddirector
Owner dependency
100/100
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.
- +Founder name in company name: Company name contains director surname "VENABLES" — strong identity link between founder and business.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 17 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 66 — succession pressure is live.
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 66. 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 17 years.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 17 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 Charles James Venables Individual · British · DOB 12/1960 · age 66 | 75–100% | 75–100% | 75-100% shares · 75-100% voting | 06/04/2016 |
1 historic (ceased) PSC
- Mr Richard Paul Venablesceased 02/02/2020· 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting
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
Active · Trade services · TF postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AFC TELFORD UNITED FOUNDATION C.I.C.→ 11833583 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| AM & SONS PROPERTY MAINTENANCE LTD→ 11799083 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| AMG WELDING DESIGN LIMITED→ 06784291 · est 2009 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 17y | — | — |
| ANGUS VALETING LTD→ 16512359 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| ARC EQUESTRIAN LTD→ 12084194 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| ARC INTEGRATION LTD→ 14065283 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| ARCHSTONE GROUP LTD→ 16897614 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| AS NEALE GAS SERVICES LTD→ 09099575 · est 2014 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 11y | — | — |
| ASENTION LTD→ 11742715 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| ASHLEY GAMBLE BEAUTY LIMITED→ 09205510 · est 2014 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 11y | — | — |
| ASHLEY GAMBLE LIMITED→ 08731227 · est 2013 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 12y | — | — |
| ASHTON & BENTLEY BATHS LIMITED→ 06856903 · est 2009 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 17y | — | — |
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions
8 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
Incorporated2009-12-18
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC82990 — Other business support service activities n.e.c.
Registered office
Chipnall Sawmill
Cheswardine
Market Drayton
Shropshire
TF9 2RB
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2027-03-31
Last made up to: 2025-06-30
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-01-01
Last: 2025-12-18
Officers (1 active · 2 resigned)
VENABLES, Charles James→
Activedirector · ~66y · appointed 2010-01-06
View their other companies + combined net worth →
VAUGHAN, David James→
Resigneddirector · ~65y · appointed 2009-12-18 · resigned 2010-01-06
VENABLES, Richard Paul→
Resigneddirector · ~71y · appointed 2010-01-06 · resigned 2019-11-05
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Recent filings (44 total)
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-01-13
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2026-01-12
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2026-01-12
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2025-10-06
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2025-02-07
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-01-07
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2024-03-21
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-12-21
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2023-03-30
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-12-23
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-01-07
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-12-15
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-04-26
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-12-18
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2020-02-26