PHOTOPHYSICS LIMITED
Opportunity 63/100 (worth a look), bankability 70/100. Strong seller-intent signal (78/100, director aged 71). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Resolve: Company dissolved. Company has been dissolved — it no longer legally exists. Any diligence here is historical only. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (65/100).
Data confidence
Overall: medium (55/100)Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.
Mixed signal. Worth opening the full target workup before deciding to pursue.
Recent activity
Corporate timeline (32 events)Click to expand
- 2025-09-23📄gazette-dissolved-voluntarygazette · GAZ2(A)
- 2025-09-23🏁Company dissolved
- 2025-07-08📄gazette-notice-voluntarygazette · GAZ1(A)
- 2025-06-25📄dissolution-application-strike-off-companydissolution · DS01
- 2025-05-22📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC02
- 2025-05-22📄withdrawal-of-a-person-with-significant-control-statementpersons-with-significant-control · PSC09
- 2025-03-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2024-03-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2023-03-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2022-03-18📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2021-06-24📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2020-03-23📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2020-03-11📄appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP03
- 2020-03-11📄termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM02
- 2020-02-11➕WINT, Ian Stuart appointedsecretary
- 2020-01-17➖MCCLOUNAN, Jason resignedsecretary
- 2019-03-22📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2018-09-26📄change-account-reference-date-company-previous-extendedaccounts · AA01
- 2018-01-10📄gazette-filings-brought-up-to-dategazette · DISS40
- 2018-01-09📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2017-09-27➖JOHNSON, Paul James resignedsecretary
- 2017-09-27➕MCCLOUNAN, Jason appointedsecretary
- 2008-06-27➕BERGLUND, David Erik Magnus appointeddirector
- 2008-06-27➖BERGLUND, Jan Erik, Dr resigneddirector
- 2001-11-13➕BERGLUND, Jan Erik, Dr appointeddirector
- 2001-11-12➕GREGSON, David appointeddirector
- 2001-11-12➕JOHNSON, Paul James appointedsecretary
- 2001-11-12➖HCS SECRETARIAL LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2001-11-12➖HANOVER DIRECTORS LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-director
- 2001-11-08🏢Company incorporatedAs PHOTOPHYSICS LIMITED
- 2001-11-08➕HCS SECRETARIAL LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2001-11-08➕HANOVER DIRECTORS LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-director
Owner dependency
The business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.
- +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 24 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 71 — succession pressure is live.
Succession & seller-readiness
Strong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
- primaryFounder aged 70+: Senior director is approximately 71 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 24 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 24 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
1 high ·Company has been dissolved — it no longer legally exists. Any diligence here is historical only.
Evidence: Dissolved on 2025-09-23
Group structure
Apl Holdings Limited is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.
Parent relationships inferred from Persons with Significant Control filings. Full subsidiary tree requires reverse-lookup (coming).
Shareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Apl Holdings Limited Corporate entity | 75–100% | 75–100% | board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control | 22/05/2025 |
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.
See pricing →Similar companies
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 CHENISTON GARDENS UK LIMITED→ 09292115 · est 2014 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 11y | — | — |
| 15 LIMITED→ 05852762 · est 2006 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 19y | — | — |
| 15A ALL SAINTS ROAD (SW19 1BU) LIMITED→ 10649696 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
| 17 ASHLEY ROAD RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION LIMITED→ 01276758 · est 1976 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 49y | — | — |
| 18/20 GORDON ROAD LIMITED→ 10834602 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 8y | — | — |
| 1BIGWEB LIMITED→ 15270304 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| 1ST CHOICE LEISURE BUILDINGS LTD→ 04161337 · est 2001 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 25y | — | — |
| 22 MARSTOW HOUSE (RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION) LIMITED→ 03790954 · est 1999 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 26y | — | — |
| 22/24 CHEWTON ROAD RTE COMPANY LIMITED→ 05300576 · est 2004 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 21y | — | — |
| 24 GROVE ROAD SURBITON LIMITED→ 02170509 · est 1987 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 38y | — | — |
| 30 STANLAKE ROAD, LONDON W12 LIMITED→ 02011648 · est 1986 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 39y | — | — |
| 31 YORK STREET TWICKENHAM LIMITED→ 05487031 · est 2005 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 20y | — | — |
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 (0 active · 5 resigned)
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