KOWLOON CITY LIMITED
💤Zombieactive
SC300048 · ltd · incorporated 2006-03-31
Investment thesis
Zombie company — trading but stalled; unlikely mover.
Why interesting: Quiet, steady; could be a succession or carve-out candidate with the right conversation.
Why risky: No growth signal; thin margin for error on price.
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Aug 2025
Net worth
£-42.4k
book net assets
Opportunity
77/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: Take-away food shops and mobile food stands
Sector: Accommodation & food service
Investor take
Pass (distressed without resilience)Distressed active trading company — structural issues outweigh the discount.
Opportunity 77/100 (strong), bankability 85/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Cash flow review and working-capital discipline. Cash down -58% YoY — forensic review of receivables, stock turns, and creditor days. Most likely exit: distressed disposal / insolvency (65/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
1 live charge · oldest 19.1y
45/100
under pressure
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 19.1 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
- · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (76/100)Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.
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
1 charges (1/1 with lender, 1/1 with type)
90
Directors & officers
5 officers (1 active, 5 linked, 1 with DOB)
74
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
59 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
77/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
60
Some acquirability indicators.
Risk profile
85
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declaredNegative net assets
Liabilities exceed assets by £42,383
Cash draining
Cash down 58% YoY
Cash YoY
-58%
Year on year
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
£10k
↓ 58% YoY
Net Worth
-£42k
↓ 83% YoY
Current Assets
£11k
↓ 54% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2025-08-30 | 2024-08-30 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £-30.6k | £-11.4k |
| Current assets | £11.1k | £24.4k |
| Cash | £9.6k | £22.9k |
| Debtors | £322 | £302 |
| Net assets | £-42.4k | £-23.1k |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
🔒Filing-note intelligence
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
Last 30 days
1
filing
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Last 90 days
2
filings
- • 1 confirmation-statement
- • 1 accounts
Last 180 days
2
filings
- • 1 confirmation-statement
- • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (27 events)Click to expand
- 2026-03-11📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2025-03-21📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-07-09📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-03-23📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-11-24📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2022-11-24🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 2022-08-16📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-07-04➖WHITELAW WELLS resignedcorporate-secretary
- 2022-07-04📄termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM02
- 2021-08-27📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-05-14📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-05-23📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-12-20📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2018-01-11📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2017-12-06📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2017-12-06📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2017-05-24📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2007-03-19🔒Charge registered #1Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
- 2006-04-04➕LAI, Gordon Wai Keung appointeddirector
- 2006-04-04➕WHITELAW WELLS appointedcorporate-secretary
- 2006-03-31🏢Company incorporatedAs KOWLOON CITY LIMITED
- 2006-03-31➕PETER TRAINER COMPANY SECRETARIES LTD. appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2006-03-31➖PETER TRAINER COMPANY SECRETARIES LTD. resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2006-03-31➕PETER TRAINER COMPANY SECRETARIES LTD. appointedcorporate-nominee-director
- 2006-03-31➖PETER TRAINER COMPANY SECRETARIES LTD. resignedcorporate-nominee-director
- 2006-03-31➕PETER TRAINER CORPORATE SERVICES LTD. appointedcorporate-nominee-director
- 2006-03-31➖PETER TRAINER CORPORATE SERVICES LTD. resignedcorporate-nominee-director
Owner dependency
85/100
Critical — business is the founderThe business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.
FACTORS
- +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 20 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
Succession & seller-readiness
75/100
Likely off-market candidateStrong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
SIGNALS
- primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 20 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 20 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.
- supportingClean filings + long tenure: Disciplined long-tenure operator — classic lifestyle-business pattern that often sells quietly.
Red flags
cleanNo 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 · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Gordon Lai Individual · British · DOB 07/1969 · age 57 | 75–100% | 75–100% | board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control | 06/04/2016 |
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LA PASSATA LIMITED→ SC848466 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| LANDLORD EVENT SERVICES LTD→ SC735554 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| LE CUCU LTD→ SC640333 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| LEE'S TEAHOUSE LTD→ SC850115 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| LEE'S XUE LTD→ SC757175 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| LIATHACH PROPERTY LETTINGS LTD.→ SC604660 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| LILY'S ORMISTON CIC→ SC781147 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| LISALEE LIMITED→ SC233637 · est 2002 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 23y | — | — |
| LIVINGSTON INN LIMITED→ SC456856 · est 2013 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 12y | — | — |
| LLW PROPERTIES LTD→ SC524524 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 10y | — | — |
| LOANHEAD FNC LTD→ SC884416 · est 2026 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| LOCALE-MARCHMONT LTD→ SC817851 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
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
Incorporated2006-03-31
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC56103 — Take-away food shops and mobile food stands
Registered office
9 Ainslie Place
Edinburgh
Midlothian
EH3 6AT
United Kingdom
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2027-05-30
Last made up to: 2025-08-30
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-04-20
Last: 2026-04-06
Officers (1 active · 4 resigned)
LAI, Gordon Wai Keung→
Activedirector · ~57y · appointed 2006-04-04
View their other companies + combined net worth →
PETER TRAINER COMPANY SECRETARIES LTD.→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2006-03-31 · resigned 2006-03-31
WHITELAW WELLS→
Resignedcorporate-secretary · appointed 2006-04-04 · resigned 2022-07-04
PETER TRAINER COMPANY SECRETARIES LTD.→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-director · appointed 2006-03-31 · resigned 2006-03-31
PETER TRAINER CORPORATE SERVICES LTD.→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-director · appointed 2006-03-31 · resigned 2006-03-31
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
1
Total charges
0
Outstanding
0
Active lenders
Status:Lender:1 of 1 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC | Bond & floating charge | 1 property | 19/03/2007 | 24/11/2022 |
Recent filings (59 total)
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-04-29
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2026-03-11
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-04-15
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-03-21
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-07-09
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-04-08
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-04-06
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-03-23
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2022-11-24
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-08-16
termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM02
2022-07-04
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-04-07
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-09-01
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-08-27
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-03-31