ACORN AGRICULTURAL FINANCE LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
07133135 · ltd · incorporated 2010-01-22
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 Mar 2025
Net worth
£8.8k
book net assets
Opportunity
72/100
Strong
🔔
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What this business does
Primary activity: Financial intermediation not elsewhere classified
Sector: Financial & insurance
Investor take
Special-situation opportunity
Distressed financial-services with salvageable qualities — special-situations priority.

Opportunity 72/100 (strong), bankability 50/100. Strong seller-intent signal (70/100, director aged 62). 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: high (82/100)

Strong data coverage across all sections. AI outputs should be trusted with minimal caveats.

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
14 officers (1 active, 14 linked, 12 with DOB)
87
Ownership & PSC
2 active PSC(s) of 3 total, 3 with control declared
90
Director network
10 connected companies via shared directors
75
Filing history
74 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
72/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.

Business quality
50
Adequate — check latest filings for context.
Acquirability
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
77
Few red flags.
Signal strength
90
Good data coverage for analysis.

Signals from accounts

Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declared
Positive net assets
Net assets £8,844
Net assets shrinking
Down £8,704 YoY

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
—
Net Worth
£9k
↓ 50% YoY
Current Assets
£880
Current Liabilities
—
£0£4k£7k£11k£14k£18kMar 2024Mar 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown
Metric2025-03-312024-03-31
Total assets£9.6k£18.3k
Current assets£880—
Net assets£8.8k£17.5k

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
0
filings
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (44 events)Click to expand
  1. 2025-12-17
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  2. 2024-12-10
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  3. 2024-10-07
    📄
    notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
  4. 2024-03-19
    📄
    change-account-reference-date-company-current-shortened
    accounts · AA01
  5. 2024-02-23
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  6. 2023-03-31
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  7. 2022-09-30
    📄
    notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC02
  8. 2022-09-30
    📄
    cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
  9. 2022-03-25
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  10. 2021-07-05
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  11. 2020-03-20
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  12. 2019-12-16
    📄
    change-account-reference-date-company-previous-extended
    accounts · AA01
  13. 2019-01-07
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  14. 2018-10-05
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  15. 2017-12-19
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  16. 2017-12-19
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  17. 2014-08-12
    ➖
    DODSON, Matthew James resigned
    director
  18. 2014-07-27
    ➕
    DODSON, Matthew James appointed
    director
  19. 2014-07-03
    ➕
    PHILLIPS, Desmond Victor John appointed
    director
  20. 2014-07-03
    ➖
    PHILLIPS, Desmond Victor John resigned
    director
  21. 2014-05-09
    ➖
    KERBEY, Alan Leslie, Dr resigned
    director
  22. 2014-03-13
    ➖
    PHILLIPS, Karen Diana resigned
    director
  23. 2014-01-31
    ➖
    LUCAS, Mark Jonathan resigned
    director
  24. 2014-01-17
    ➖
    WILLS, Derek Martin resigned
    secretary
  25. 2014-01-17
    ➖
    WILLS, Derek Martin resigned
    director
  26. 2013-05-31
    ➖
    KIDD, Nicholas James David resigned
    director
  27. 2013-05-16
    ➖
    SOBEY, Peter John resigned
    director
  28. 2013-03-01
    ➕
    KERBEY, Alan Leslie, Dr appointed
    director
  29. 2013-03-01
    ➕
    LUCAS, Mark Jonathan appointed
    director
  30. 2013-03-01
    ➕
    PHILLIPS, Karen Diana appointed
    director
  31. 2010-04-27
    ➖
    SMITH, Martyn Scott resigned
    director
  32. 2010-03-01
    ➕
    SANDERS, Mark Andrew appointed
    director
  33. 2010-03-01
    ➖
    PHILLIPS, Desmond Victor John resigned
    secretary
  34. 2010-03-01
    ➕
    WILLS, Derek Martin appointed
    secretary
  35. 2010-03-01
    ➖
    HOLDER, Karen Diana resigned
    director
  36. 2010-03-01
    ➕
    KIDD, Nicholas James David appointed
    director
  37. 2010-03-01
    ➖
    PHILLIPS, Desmond Victor John resigned
    director
  38. 2010-03-01
    ➕
    SMITH, Martyn Scott appointed
    director
  39. 2010-03-01
    ➕
    SOBEY, Peter John appointed
    director
  40. 2010-03-01
    ➕
    WILLS, Derek Martin appointed
    director
  41. 2010-01-22
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As ACORN AGRICULTURAL FINANCE LIMITED
  42. 2010-01-22
    ➕
    PHILLIPS, Desmond Victor John appointed
    secretary
  43. 2010-01-22
    ➕
    HOLDER, Karen Diana appointed
    director
  44. 2010-01-22
    ➕
    PHILLIPS, Desmond Victor John appointed
    director

Owner dependency

93/100
Critical — business is the founder

The 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 16 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 62 — approaching natural succession window.

Succession & seller-readiness

78/100
Likely off-market candidate

Strong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.

SIGNALS
  • secondaryFounder aged 58+: Senior director is approximately 62. Early succession window.
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • secondary12+ year tenure: Director in role 16 years.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 16 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 ·
Has insolvency history
medium

Companies House flags prior insolvency events. Review the insolvency filings for context.

Group structure

Landman Property Consultants Limited is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.

🏛️
Landman Property Consultants Limited
Corporate parent · holds 75-100% shares · board control
ultimate parent
⬇
ACORN AGRICULTURAL FINANCE LIMITED
This company · 07133135

Parent relationships inferred from Persons with Significant Control filings. Full subsidiary tree requires reverse-lookup (coming).

Shareholders & ownership

2 active beneficial owners · dominant holder ≥75%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Landman Property Consultants Limited
Corporate entity
75–100%
75–100%board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control30/09/2022
Mr Mark Sanders
Individual · British · DOB 03/1964 · age 62
——sig. influencesignificant influence06/04/2016
1 historic (ceased) PSC
  • Mr Mark Andrew Sandersceased 30/09/2022· 75-100% shares

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 →

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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
Incorporated2010-01-22
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC64999 — Financial intermediation not elsewhere classified

Registered office

1b Oaklands Court Tiverton Way
Tiverton Business Park
Tiverton
EX16 6TG
England

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-12-31
Last made up to: 2025-03-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-10-17
Last: 2025-10-03

Officers (1 active · 13 resigned)

SANDERS, Mark Andrew→
director · ~62y · appointed 2010-03-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
PHILLIPS, Desmond Victor John→
secretary · appointed 2010-01-22 · resigned 2010-03-01
Resigned
WILLS, Derek Martin→
secretary · appointed 2010-03-01 · resigned 2014-01-17
Resigned
DODSON, Matthew James→
director · ~75y · appointed 2014-07-27 · resigned 2014-08-12
Resigned
HOLDER, Karen Diana→
director · ~47y · appointed 2010-01-22 · resigned 2010-03-01
Resigned
KERBEY, Alan Leslie, Dr→
director · ~77y · appointed 2013-03-01 · resigned 2014-05-09
Resigned
KIDD, Nicholas James David→
director · ~66y · appointed 2010-03-01 · resigned 2013-05-31
Resigned
LUCAS, Mark Jonathan→
director · ~62y · appointed 2013-03-01 · resigned 2014-01-31
Resigned
PHILLIPS, Desmond Victor John→
director · ~74y · appointed 2014-07-03 · resigned 2014-07-03
Resigned
PHILLIPS, Desmond Victor John→
director · ~74y · appointed 2010-01-22 · resigned 2010-03-01
Resigned
PHILLIPS, Karen Diana→
director · ~47y · appointed 2013-03-01 · resigned 2014-03-13
Resigned
SMITH, Martyn Scott→
director · ~65y · appointed 2010-03-01 · resigned 2010-04-27
Resigned
SOBEY, Peter John→
director · ~69y · appointed 2010-03-01 · resigned 2013-05-16
Resigned
WILLS, Derek Martin→
director · ~61y · appointed 2010-03-01 · resigned 2014-01-17
Resigned

Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.

Recent filings (74 total)

accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2025-12-17
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-10-03
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2024-12-10
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-10-07
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
2024-10-07
change-account-reference-date-company-current-shortened
accounts · AA01
2024-03-19
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2024-02-23
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-10-11
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2023-03-31
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-10-03
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC02
2022-09-30
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2022-09-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2022-03-25
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-03-02
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2021-07-05