CEA OPTICAL LTD
Opportunity 70/100 (strong), bankability 80/100. 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).
Refinance opportunity
4 live charges · oldest 9.0y
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 9.0 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
- · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (78/100)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.
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsHover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102| Metric | 2025-07-31 | 2024-07-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Average employees | 7 | 700 |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
2 signals 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
- • 1 confirmation-statement
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Corporate timeline (24 events)Click to expand
- 2025-10-21📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-11-14📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-03-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-03-21📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-12-03📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-01-09📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-04-27📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2020-01-21📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-01-24📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-12-12📄change-account-reference-date-company-previous-extendedaccounts · AA01
- 2018-02-22📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2018-02-22📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2018-02-22🔓Charge satisfied #3
- 2018-02-14🔒Charge registered #4Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 2018-02-02📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2018-01-31🔒Charge registered #3Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 2018-01-11📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2018-01-11🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 2017-07-13📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2017-07-07🔒Charge registered #2Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 2017-07-03📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2017-06-30🔒Charge registered #1Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 2017-04-26🏢Company incorporatedAs CEA OPTICAL LTD
- 2017-04-26➕ALDRIDGE, Christopher Ellis 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 9 years old with no director changes — suggests a very tight-knit founder team never broadened.
Succession & seller-readiness
Some succession indicators present. Worth watching; approach if sector/strategy fits.
- primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
Red flags
1 med ·Multiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.
Shareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Christopher Ellis Aldridge Individual · Welsh · DOB 09/1977 · age 49 | 75–100% | 75–100% | board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control | 26/04/2017 |
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
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| D BARNES LIMITED→ 12396035 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| DISCOVER COLLECTIVE LTD→ 14435857 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
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)
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | A registered charge | 1 property | 14/02/2018 | — | |
| satisfied | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | A registered charge | 1 property | 31/01/2018 | 22/02/2018 | |
| outstanding | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | A registered charge | 1 property | 07/07/2017 | — | |
| satisfied | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | A registered charge | — | 30/06/2017 | 11/01/2018 |