ESM INVESTMENT SERVICES LIMITED
Opportunity 68/100 (strong), bankability 65/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Resolve: Confirmation statement overdue. Annual confirmation statement not filed on time. Required statutory filing — overdue is a strong discipline signal. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).
Data confidence
Overall: high (82/100)Strong data coverage across all sections. AI outputs should be trusted with minimal caveats.
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · FRS 105 (micro)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 105 (micro)| Metric | 2025-05-31 | 2024-05-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £-47.7k | £-47.4k |
| Current assets | £14.3k | £16.5k |
| Net assets | £-47.7k | £-47.4k |
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
- • 1 accounts
- • 1 accounts
Corporate timeline (12 events)Click to expand
- 2026-02-27📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2025-02-27📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2024-05-16📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2023-02-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-04-01📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-05-27📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-08-26📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2020-02-17📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-01-10📄change-account-reference-date-company-previous-extendedaccounts · AA01
- 2018-04-18🏢Company incorporatedAs ESM INVESTMENT SERVICES LIMITED
- 2018-04-18➕MORRIS, Steven Charles appointeddirector
- 2018-04-18📄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.
- +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 64 — approaching natural succession window.
- +No director turnover: Company is 8 years old with no director changes — suggests a very tight-knit founder team never broadened.
Succession & seller-readiness
Multiple signals suggest succession is on the horizon. Candidate for proactive outreach.
- primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 64. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
- primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
Red flags
1 high ·Annual confirmation statement not filed on time. Required statutory filing — overdue is a strong discipline signal.
Evidence: Next due: 2026-05-01
Shareholders & ownership
2 active beneficial owners| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Steven Charles Morris Individual · British · DOB 12/1962 · age 64 | 25–50% | 25–50% | 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting | 18/04/2018 |
Mrs Fiona Morris Individual · British · DOB 01/1965 · age 61 | 25–50% | 25–50% | 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting | 18/04/2018 |
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
Radial SVG graph showing every company connected via shared directors, colour-coded by status.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
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8 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)
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