A DUCKWORTH LTD
Opportunity 71/100 (strong), bankability 75/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (58/100).
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 · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2025-10-31 | 2024-10-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Average employees | 200 | 200 |
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 (11 events)Click to expand
- 2025-11-12📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2024-11-12📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2023-11-20📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2022-12-06📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2021-11-16➕DUCKWORTH, Anna Maria appointeddirector
- 2021-11-16📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2021-11-16📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2020-11-12🏢Company incorporatedAs A DUCKWORTH LTD
- 2020-11-12➕DUCKWORTH, Adam, Dr appointeddirector
- 2020-11-12📄change-account-reference-date-company-current-shortenedaccounts · AA01
- 2020-11-12📄incorporation-companyincorporation · NEWINC
Owner dependency
The business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.
- +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
- +Founder name in company name: Company name contains director surname "DUCKWORTH" — strong identity link between founder and business.
- +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.
- +No director turnover: Company is 6 years old with no director changes — suggests a very tight-knit founder team never broadened.
Succession & seller-readiness
Limited succession signal. Not a near-term off-market candidate.
- secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
Red flags
cleanShareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Dr Adam Duckworth Individual · British · DOB 06/1979 · age 47 | — | — | sig. influencesignificant influence | 12/11/2020 |
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
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6 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 (2 active · 0 resigned)
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.