AUTO-MATE(UK) LTD
Opportunity 73/100 (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 (79/100)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.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declaredKey financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsHover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2024-09-30 | 2023-09-30 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £81.6k | £93.1k |
| Current assets | £129.4k | £101.5k |
| Cash | £113.5k | £90.8k |
| Debtors | £12.0k | £6.7k |
| Net assets | £78.7k | £89.2k |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
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
Corporate timeline (17 events)Click to expand
- 2025-09-22📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2025-03-13📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-09-25📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2024-06-28📄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
- 2021-06-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-06-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-06-25📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-06-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2017-06-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2016-06-21📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2015-10-12📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2015-06-22📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2014-10-10📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2011-09-20🏢Company incorporatedAs AUTO-MATE(UK) LTD
- 2011-09-20➕LEAFE, Robert James appointeddirector
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.
- +No director turnover: Company is 15 years old with no director changes — suggests a very tight-knit founder team never broadened.
Succession & seller-readiness
Multiple signals suggest succession is on the horizon. Candidate for proactive outreach.
- primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
- secondary12+ year tenure: Director in role 15 years.
- supportingClean filings + long tenure: Disciplined long-tenure operator — classic lifestyle-business pattern that often sells quietly.
Red flags
cleanShareholders & ownership
2 active beneficial owners| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Ms Charlotte Elizabeth Berry Individual · British · DOB 11/1979 · age 47 | 25–50% | — | 25-50% shares | 23/09/2024 |
Mr Robert James Leafe Individual · British · DOB 03/1980 · age 46 | 25–50% | 25–50% | 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting | 06/04/2016 |
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.
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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 · 0 resigned)
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