ACORN CONSULTANTS LIMITED

🌳Matureactive
SC119978 · ltd · incorporated 1989-09-06
Investment thesis
Well-run mature business — low negotiation leverage; premium likely.
Why interesting: Textbook target; clean filings, stable trading.
Why risky: No pressure on seller; any deal likely at full price.
Opportunity decay
hardening · 12-months
Already tight — no obvious softening catalysts on the horizon.
  • · Thesis: well-run, low negotiation leverage
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Dec 2024
Net worth
£1.76M
book net assets
Opportunity
80/100
Exceptional
🔔
Follow this company (free)
Email alerts on filings, charges, director changes, gazette notices. No account needed.

Unsubscribe any time from any email. GDPR-respectful.

🔒Generate AI memo →🔒Outreach pack →🔒Corporate story →📑 Reports →Sign in to watch
What this business does
Primary activity: Management consultancy activities other than financial management
Sector: Professional, scientific & technical
Investor take
Pursue
Asset-holding vehicle with a 85-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 80/100 (exceptional), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (83/100, director aged 85). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (65/100).

Data confidence

Overall: high (80/100)

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
11 officers (3 active, 11 linked, 7 with DOB)
83
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
6 connected companies via shared directors
63
Filing history
100 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
80/100Exceptional
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

Strong composite across quality, acquirability, and risk. High-priority target — progress to serious diligence.

Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
85
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 £1,757,443
Cash YoY
+33%
Year on year

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
£1.2m
↑ 33% YoY
Net Worth
£1.8m
↑ 6.6% YoY
Current Assets
£1.2m
↑ 6.5% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
£0£351k£703k£1.1m£1.4m£1.8mDec 2023Dec 2024

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown
Metric2024-12-312023-12-31
Total assets£1.79M£1.68M
Current assets£1.20M£1.13M
Cash£1.19M£894.1k
Debtors£12.5k£232.6k
Net assets£1.76M£1.65M

Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.

🔒Filing-note intelligence

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

Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
0
filings
Last 180 days
1
filing
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (35 events)Click to expand
  1. 2025-08-15
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  2. 2025-08-04
    📄
    appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP01
  3. 2025-06-30
    ➕
    STEVENSON, David Deas appointed
    director
  4. 2024-08-01
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  5. 2024-01-29
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  6. 2024-01-27
    ➖
    STEVENSON, Margaret Telfer resigned
    director
  7. 2023-09-26
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  8. 2022-09-26
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  9. 2021-09-27
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  10. 2020-09-24
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  11. 2019-09-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
    accounts · AA
  12. 2018-11-29
    📄
    cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
  13. 2018-10-01
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
    accounts · AA
  14. 2017-10-04
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  15. 2016-10-04
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  16. 2015-12-21
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  17. 2015-10-03
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  18. 2012-07-25
    ➕
    HILDITCH, John appointed
    secretary
  19. 2012-07-25
    ➖
    NEEDHAM, Douglas Wilson resigned
    secretary
  20. 2004-03-31
    ➖
    LALL, Vikram resigned
    director
  21. 1999-07-12
    ➖
    FERRIE, David Francis resigned
    secretary
  22. 1999-07-12
    ➕
    NEEDHAM, Douglas Wilson appointed
    secretary
  23. 1996-12-16
    ➕
    LALL, Vikram appointed
    director
  24. 1996-05-31
    ➖
    AINSLIE, James Thomas Heard resigned
    secretary
  25. 1996-05-31
    ➕
    FERRIE, David Francis appointed
    secretary
  26. 1996-05-31
    ➖
    AINSLIE, James Thomas Heard resigned
    director
  27. 1995-10-30
    ➖
    STEVENSON, James Neil resigned
    director
  28. 1995-10-24
    ➕
    AINSLIE, James Thomas Heard appointed
    director
  29. 1995-10-24
    ➕
    STEVENSON, Margaret Telfer appointed
    director
  30. 1992-03-06
    ➕
    STEVENSON, Louie Alexander appointed
    director
  31. 1992-03-06
    ➖
    STEVENSON, David Deas resigned
    director
  32. 1989-09-06
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As ACORN CONSULTANTS LIMITED
  33. 1989-09-06
    ➕
    AINSLIE, James Thomas Heard appointed
    secretary
  34. 1989-09-06
    ➕
    STEVENSON, David Deas appointed
    director
  35. 1989-09-06
    ➕
    STEVENSON, James Neil appointed
    director

Owner dependency

91/100
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
  • +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 34 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 85 — succession pressure is live.
  • +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.

Succession & seller-readiness

86/100
Likely off-market candidate

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

SIGNALS
  • primaryFounder aged 70+: Senior director is approximately 85 years old. Natural succession window is now.
  • secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
  • primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 34 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
  • supportingClean filings + long tenure: Disciplined long-tenure operator — classic lifestyle-business pattern that often sells quietly.

Red flags

clean
No red flags detected from available public data. (This is not a clean bill of health — detailed accounts review still recommended.)

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mr David Deas Stevenson
Individual · British · DOB 11/1941 · age 85
25–50%
—25-50% shares01/07/2016
1 historic (ceased) PSC
  • Mr James Neil Stevensonceased 12/11/2018· 25-50% 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 →

Similar companies

Active · Professional services · DG postcode area
CompanyEst. valueTurnoverNet worthStaffAgeOppDirector
ASHER ASSOCIATES LIMITED→
SC189951 · est 1998
———180027y8359y
BROWNS FOOD GROUP LIMITED→
SC236133 · est 2002 · no financials extracted
————23y8362y
CARA CONSULTANTS LTD.→
SC214972 · est 2001
——£3.2k—25y8381y
DRYFE VETS LIMITED→
SC266139 · est 2004
——£1.04M—22y8363y
GM MARINE LIMITED→
SC384029 · est 2010
——£24.2k—15y8267y
M.K. WELDING (NEW CAMPLE) LIMITED→
SC298674 · est 2006
——£215.6k—20y8261y
CRICHTON FOUNDATION→
SC361942 · est 2009 · no financials extracted
————16y8183y
SOLWAY HERITAGE→
SC112755 · est 1988 · no financials extracted
————37y8182y
DEVORGILLA PROJECTS LIMITED→
SC692965 · est 2021 · no financials extracted
————5y——
QUAY DESIGN (ARCHITECTS) LTD→
SC667663 · est 2020 · no financials extracted
————5y——
RACHEL LITTLE LEARNING SOLUTIONS LTD→
SC644252 · est 2019 · no financials extracted
————6y——
STUART HUXTABLE LIMITED→
SC393900 · est 2011 · no financials extracted
————15y——
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions

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 →
🔒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
Incorporated1989-09-06
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC70229 — Management consultancy activities other than financial management

Registered office

Ashley Bank House
Langholm
Dumfriesshire
DG13 0AN

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-09-30
Last made up to: 2024-12-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-11-26
Last: 2025-11-12

Officers (3 active · 8 resigned)

HILDITCH, John→
secretary · appointed 2012-07-25
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
STEVENSON, David Deas→
director · ~85y · appointed 2025-06-30
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
STEVENSON, Louie Alexander→
director · ~84y · appointed 1992-03-06
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
AINSLIE, James Thomas Heard→
secretary · appointed 1989-09-06 · resigned 1996-05-31
Resigned
FERRIE, David Francis→
secretary · appointed 1996-05-31 · resigned 1999-07-12
Resigned
NEEDHAM, Douglas Wilson→
secretary · appointed 1999-07-12 · resigned 2012-07-25
Resigned
AINSLIE, James Thomas Heard→
director · ~90y · appointed 1995-10-24 · resigned 1996-05-31
Resigned
LALL, Vikram→
director · ~80y · appointed 1996-12-16 · resigned 2004-03-31
Resigned
STEVENSON, David Deas→
director · ~85y · appointed 1989-09-06 · resigned 1992-03-06
Resigned
STEVENSON, James Neil→
director · ~81y · appointed 1989-09-06 · resigned 1995-10-30
Resigned
STEVENSON, Margaret Telfer→
director · ~78y · appointed 1995-10-24 · resigned 2024-01-27
Resigned

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

Recent filings (100 total)

confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-11-12
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-08-15
appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
officers · AP01
2025-08-04
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-12-17
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-08-01
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2024-01-29
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-12-04
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-09-26
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-11-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-09-26
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-12-08
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-09-27
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-01-05
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2020-09-24
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2019-12-16