21ST CENTURY STUDIOS LIMITED
💤Zombieactive
03476826 · ltd · incorporated 1997-12-05
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 Dec 2024
Net worth
£-147.1k
book net assets
Opportunity
80/100
Exceptional
What this business does
Primary activity: Management consultancy activities other than financial management
Sector: Professional, scientific & technical
Investor take
Pass (distressed without resilience)Distressed active trading company — structural issues outweigh the discount.
Opportunity 80/100 (exceptional), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (70/100, director aged 64). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Broaden director team. Sole director creates succession risk and reduces buyer comfort. Appoint a second director or strong #2. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).
Data confidence
Overall: medium (78/100)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
Confirmed no charges registered
85
Directors & officers
5 officers (1 active, 5 linked, 2 with DOB)
78
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
2 connected companies via shared directors
51
Filing history
98 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 declaredNegative net assets
Liabilities exceed assets by £147,059
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
—
Net Worth
-£147k
↓ 3.7% YoY
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2024-12-31 | 2023-12-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £-147.1k | £-141.8k |
| Cash | — | £59 |
| Net assets | £-147.1k | £-141.8k |
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
0
filings
Last 90 days
0
filings
Last 180 days
3
filings
- • 1 confirmation-statement
- • 1 persons-with-significant-control
- • 1 officers
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (27 events)Click to expand
- 2025-12-24📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2025-12-24📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2025-09-26📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-09-27📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-09-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-06-23📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2022-09-09📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-01-20📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-12-22📄gazette-filings-brought-up-to-dategazette · DISS40
- 2021-12-21📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2021-12-21📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2021-12-21📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2021-12-14📄dissolved-compulsory-strike-off-suspendeddissolution · DISS16(SOAS)
- 2021-11-30📄gazette-notice-compulsorygazette · GAZ1
- 2021-02-02📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2019-11-18📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2019-07-20📄gazette-filings-brought-up-to-dategazette · DISS40
- 2013-12-05➖CRIPWELL, Richard John Courtenay resignedsecretary
- 2013-10-07➖CRIPWELL, Nicola Dawn resigneddirector
- 1997-12-05🏢Company incorporatedAs 21ST CENTURY STUDIOS LIMITED
- 1997-12-05➕CRIPWELL, Richard John Courtenay appointeddirector
- 1997-12-05➕CRIPWELL, Richard John Courtenay appointedsecretary
- 1997-12-05➕WATERLOW SECRETARIES LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 1997-12-05➖WATERLOW SECRETARIES LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 1997-12-05➕CRIPWELL, Nicola Dawn appointeddirector
- 1997-12-05➕WATERLOW NOMINEES LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-director
- 1997-12-05➖WATERLOW NOMINEES LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-director
Owner dependency
93/100
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 28 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 64 — approaching natural succession window.
Succession & seller-readiness
95/100
Likely off-market candidateStrong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
SIGNALS
- 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.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 28 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 28 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 Richard John Courtenay Cripwell Individual · British · DOB 05/1962 · age 64 | 75–100% | — | 75-100% shares | 06/04/2016 |
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 · DT postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1LS RISK CONSULTANTS LTD→ 11453931 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| 21ST CENTURY MINDSET LIMITED→ 09777064 · est 2015 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 10y | — | — |
| 2I PROJECTS LIMITED→ 14597667 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| 58 GROUP LTD→ 15696719 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| 660 ENGINEERING LTD→ 16609000 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 6BH CONSULTANCY LTD→ 10884738 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 8y | — | — |
| 7 MILES A MINUTE LTD→ 10204515 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
| A BESLEY CONSULTING LTD→ 15935001 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| A CULTURE OF KINDNESS LTD→ 14824670 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| A1-JETCONSULTING LIMITED→ 14368558 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| A2A CONSULTING LIMITED→ 09382206 · est 2015 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 11y | — | — |
| A3C (U.K.) LIMITED→ 08363209 · est 2013 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 13y | — | — |
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
Incorporated1997-12-05
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC70229 — Management consultancy activities other than financial management
Registered office
24 Cornwall Road
Dorchester
DT1 1RX
England
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-09-30
Last made up to: 2024-12-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-12-19
Last: 2025-12-05
Officers (1 active · 4 resigned)
CRIPWELL, Richard John Courtenay→
Activedirector · ~64y · appointed 1997-12-05
View their other companies + combined net worth →
CRIPWELL, Richard John Courtenay→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 1997-12-05 · resigned 2013-12-05
WATERLOW SECRETARIES LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 1997-12-05 · resigned 1997-12-05
CRIPWELL, Nicola Dawn→
Resigneddirector · ~58y · appointed 1997-12-05 · resigned 2013-10-07
WATERLOW NOMINEES LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-director · appointed 1997-12-05 · resigned 1997-12-05
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Recent filings (98 total)
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-12-29
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2025-12-24
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2025-12-24
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-09-26
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-12-09
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-09-27
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-12-05
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-09-29
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2023-06-23
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-12-09
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-09-09
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-01-20
gazette-filings-brought-up-to-date
gazette · DISS40
2021-12-22
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-12-21
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2021-12-21