23 LIMITED
💤Zombieactive
03885216 · ltd · incorporated 1999-11-29
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 Mar 2025
Net worth
£1.50M
book net assets
Opportunity
82/100
Exceptional
What this business does
Primary activity: Information technology consultancy activities
Sector: Information & communication
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 62-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (70/100, director aged 62). 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).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
2 live charges · 2 lenders · oldest 7.6y
30/100
under pressure
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 7.6 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Two lenders — manageable, but coordination required.
- · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.
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
2 charges (2/2 with lender, 2/2 with type)
90
Directors & officers
6 officers (2 active, 6 linked, 1 with DOB)
73
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
3 connected companies via shared directors
54
Filing history
89 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
82/100Exceptional
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
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declaredPositive net assets
Net assets £1,500,179
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
£67k
Net Worth
£1.5m
↑ 154% YoY
Current Assets
£3.6m
↑ 82% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2025-03-31 | 2024-03-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £1.89M | £929.1k |
| Current assets | £3.56M | £1.96M |
| Cash | £67.3k | — |
| Debtors | £3.50M | £1.96M |
| Net assets | £1.50M | £591.3k |
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
2
filings
- • 1 persons-with-significant-control
- • 1 officers
Last 180 days
6
filings
- • 2 persons-with-significant-control
- • 2 officers
- • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (35 events)Click to expand
- 2026-02-05📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2026-02-05📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2025-12-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2025-10-27📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2025-10-27📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2025-09-26📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2025-09-09🔒Charge registered #2Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 2025-01-27📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2025-01-27📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2024-12-09📄second-filing-of-confirmation-statement-with-made-up-dateconfirmation-statement · RP04CS01
- 2024-12-09📄second-filing-capital-allotment-sharescapital · RP04SH01
- 2024-12-09📄second-filing-capital-allotment-sharescapital · RP04SH01
- 2024-11-14📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2024-09-24📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2024-07-30📄second-filing-of-confirmation-statement-with-made-up-dateconfirmation-statement · RP04CS01
- 2024-07-12📄resolutionresolution · RESOLUTIONS
- 2024-07-12📄memorandum-articlesincorporation · MA
- 2024-07-10📄capital-allotment-sharescapital · SH01
- 2024-07-10📄capital-allotment-sharescapital · SH01
- 2023-08-07📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-08-03➕ROSS, Louise appointedsecretary
- 2023-08-03📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2023-08-03📄appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP03
- 2022-11-28📄capital-alter-shares-subdivisioncapital · SH02
- 2018-09-20🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Hsbc UK Bank PLC
- 2012-12-31➖BLAKE, Jim resignedsecretary
- 2006-07-11➕BLAKE, Jim appointedsecretary
- 2006-07-11➖PLUMBLY, Greg resignedsecretary
- 1999-11-29🏢Company incorporatedAs 23 LIMITED
- 1999-11-29➕CRANE, David, Dr appointeddirector
- 1999-11-29➕PLUMBLY, Greg appointedsecretary
- 1999-11-29➕AA COMPANY SERVICES LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 1999-11-29➖AA COMPANY SERVICES LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 1999-11-29➕BUYVIEW LTD appointedcorporate-nominee-director
- 1999-11-29➖BUYVIEW LTD 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 26 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 62 — approaching natural succession window.
Succession & seller-readiness
75/100
Likely off-market candidateStrong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
SIGNALS
- secondaryFounder aged 58+: Senior director is approximately 62. Early succession window.
- primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 26 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
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Dr David Crane Individual · British · DOB 03/1964 · age 62 | 75–100% | 75–100% | board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control · trust interest · firm interest | 01/09/2016 |
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 · Technology · WC postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01SEVENTYSIX LTD→ 16382565 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| 0DAY LTD→ 16234031 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| 0TO100SITES LTD→ 16114553 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| 0XAP LIMITED→ 15436104 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| 0XCODE LTD→ 15864505 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| 0XOS1 LTD→ 16195691 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| 100 GREAT YEARS LTD→ 16636231 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1000 FURSAN LTD→ 16530561 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1007 PRODUCTIONS LTD→ 14606572 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| 101DIGITAL LTD→ 17077450 · est 2026 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 101DOMAIN LIMITED→ 07018353 · est 2009 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 16y | — | — |
| 1024 LTD→ 16112095 · 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
Incorporated1999-11-29
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC62020 — Information technology consultancy activities
Registered office
71-75 Shelton Street
Covent Garden
London
WC2H 9JQ
United Kingdom
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-12-31
Last made up to: 2025-03-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-11-10
Last: 2025-10-27
Officers (2 active · 4 resigned)
Active
CRANE, David, Dr→
Activedirector · ~62y · appointed 1999-11-29
View their other companies + combined net worth →
BLAKE, Jim→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2006-07-11 · resigned 2012-12-31
PLUMBLY, Greg→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 1999-11-29 · resigned 2006-07-11
AA COMPANY SERVICES LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 1999-11-29 · resigned 1999-11-29
BUYVIEW LTD→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-director · appointed 1999-11-29 · resigned 1999-11-29
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
2
Total charges
2
Outstanding
2
Active lenders
Status:Lender:2 of 2 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | A registered charge | 1 property | 09/09/2025 | — | |
| outstanding | HSBC Hsbc UK Bank PLC | A registered charge | 1 property | 20/09/2018 | — |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (89 total)
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2026-02-05
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2026-02-05
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2025-12-31
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-11-17
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2025-10-27
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2025-10-27
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2025-09-26
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2025-01-27
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2025-01-27
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-12-12
second-filing-of-confirmation-statement-with-made-up-date
confirmation-statement · RP04CS01
2024-12-09
second-filing-capital-allotment-shares
capital · RP04SH01
2024-12-09
second-filing-capital-allotment-shares
capital · RP04SH01
2024-12-09
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2024-11-14
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2024-09-24