AEL AUTOMATION LTD
- 28490SIC 28490
- 28990SIC 28990
- 71129Other engineering activities
Opportunity 71/100 (strong), bankability 57/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 3 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (58/100).
Refinance opportunity
3 live charges · 3 lenders · oldest 1.7y
Refinance path is blocked by complexity. Rethink structure or expect bespoke, expensive terms.
- · Newest facility, 1.7 years old — likely still in initial term.
- · 3 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
- · Legal-friction score 25/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (69/100)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
1 year extracted from filed iXBRL accountsFinancials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102| Metric | 2025-07-31 |
|---|---|
| Average employees | 31 |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
3 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
- • 2 persons-with-significant-control
- • 2 persons-with-significant-control
- • 1 accounts
- • 2 persons-with-significant-control
- • 1 accounts
Corporate timeline (17 events)Click to expand
- 2026-05-18📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2026-05-18📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2026-02-24📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2025-08-25📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2025-08-25📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2025-03-10📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2025-03-07📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2025-03-07🔒Charge registered #3Lender: Liberty Leasing Limited
- 2025-03-07🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 2024-08-23📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2024-08-23📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2024-08-23🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Genesis Asset Finance LTD
- 2024-08-22🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Bibby Financial Services Limited
- 2024-07-02🏢Company incorporatedAs AEL AUTOMATION LTD
- 2024-07-02➕REID, Martin, Mr. appointedsecretary
- 2024-07-02➕BATEY, Nicholas appointeddirector
- 2024-07-02📄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.
- +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
- +Young company: Only 1.9 years old — management layer unlikely to be developed.
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
cleanShareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr. Nicholas Batey Individual · British · DOB 03/1973 · age 53 | 75–100% | 75–100% | board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control | 01/05/2026 |
2 historic (ceased) PSCs
- Mrs. Linda Joyce Brownceased 01/05/2026· 75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control
- Mr Nicholas Bateyceased 05/08/2025· 75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
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9 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.
Mortgages & charges
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Liberty Leasing Liberty Leasing Limited | A registered charge | — | 07/03/2025 | — | |
| satisfied | Genesis Asset Finance Genesis Asset Finance LTD | A registered charge | 1 property | 23/08/2024 | 07/03/2025 | |
| outstanding | Bibby Financial Services Bibby Financial Services Limited | A registered charge | 4 properties | 22/08/2024 | — |