ST ANDREWS INSTRUMENTATION LIMITED

🌳Matureactive
SC413998 · ltd · incorporated 2012-01-06
Investment thesis
Well-run mature business — low negotiation leverage; premium likely.
Why interesting: Textbook target; clean filings, stable trading.
Why risky: No pressure on seller; any deal likely at full price.
Opportunity decay
hardening · 12-months
Already tight — no obvious softening catalysts on the horizon.
  • · Thesis: well-run, low negotiation leverage
🔒Estimated value
Upgrade to see
Turnover
not disclosed
Net worth
book net assets
Opportunity
79/100
Strong
🔔
Follow this company (free)
Email alerts on filings, charges, director changes, gazette notices. No account needed.

Unsubscribe any time from any email. GDPR-respectful.

What this business does
Primary activity: Other research and experimental development on natural sciences and engineering
Sector: Professional, scientific & technical
Investor take
Pursue
Active trading company with a 66-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 79/100 (strong), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (68/100, director aged 66). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (65/100).

Data confidence

Overall: medium (60/100)

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
No iXBRL financials extracted
0
Lenders & charges
Confirmed no charges registered
85
Directors & officers
5 officers (3 active, 5 linked, 3 with DOB)
82
Ownership & PSC
2 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
18 connected companies via shared directors
90
Filing history
57 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
79/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.

Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
75
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
85
Few red flags.
Signal strength
90
Good data coverage for analysis.

Recent activity

Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
1
filing
  • 1 confirmation-statement
Last 180 days
1
filing
  • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (28 events)Click to expand
  1. 2025-03-12
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-audit-exemption-subsiduary
    accounts · AA
  2. 2025-03-12
    📄
    legacy
    accounts · PARENT_ACC
  3. 2025-03-12
    📄
    legacy
    other · AGREEMENT2
  4. 2025-03-12
    📄
    legacy
    other · GUARANTEE2
  5. 2025-02-06
    📄
    notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC02
  6. 2024-05-31
    GETTINBY, Michael John appointed
    secretary
  7. 2024-05-31
    📄
    appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP03
  8. 2024-04-25
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-audit-exemption-subsiduary
    accounts · AA
  9. 2024-04-25
    📄
    legacy
    accounts · PARENT_ACC
  10. 2024-04-25
    📄
    legacy
    other · AGREEMENT2
  11. 2024-04-25
    📄
    legacy
    other · GUARANTEE2
  12. 2024-04-16
    📄
    termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM02
  13. 2024-04-08
    GILLESPIE MACANDREW SECRETARIES LIMITED resigned
    corporate-secretary
  14. 2023-04-20
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-audit-exemption-subsiduary
    accounts · AA
  15. 2023-04-20
    📄
    legacy
    accounts · PARENT_ACC
  16. 2023-04-20
    📄
    legacy
    other · AGREEMENT2
  17. 2023-04-20
    📄
    legacy
    other · GUARANTEE2
  18. 2022-04-19
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-audit-exemption-subsiduary
    accounts · AA
  19. 2022-04-19
    📄
    legacy
    other · GUARANTEE2
  20. 2022-04-19
    📄
    legacy
    other · AGREEMENT2
  21. 2022-04-05
    📄
    legacy
    accounts · PARENT_ACC
  22. 2021-08-17
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  23. 2013-04-19
    MUNDIE, Douglas Stewart resigned
    director
  24. 2012-01-06
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As ST ANDREWS INSTRUMENTATION LIMITED
  25. 2012-01-06
    MILLICAN, Keith appointed
    director
  26. 2012-01-06
    WATSON, Derek Alexander appointed
    director
  27. 2012-01-06
    GILLESPIE MACANDREW SECRETARIES LIMITED appointed
    corporate-secretary
  28. 2012-01-06
    MUNDIE, Douglas Stewart appointed
    director

Owner dependency

73/100
High — earn-out structure required

Material founder dependency. Consider a 2-3 year earn-out and build in a handover plan before completion.

FACTORS
  • +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 66 — succession pressure is live.

Succession & seller-readiness

69/100
Strong succession signal

Multiple signals suggest succession is on the horizon. Candidate for proactive outreach.

SIGNALS
  • primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 66. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
  • secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
  • secondary12+ year tenure: Director in role 14 years.
  • supportingClean filings + long tenure: Disciplined long-tenure operator — classic lifestyle-business pattern that often sells quietly.

Red flags

clean
No red flags detected from available public data. (This is not a clean bill of health — detailed accounts review still recommended.)

Group structure

2 corporate shareholders identified. Group structure is distributed.

🏛️
St Andrews Innovation Ltd
Corporate parent · holds 75-100% shares
ultimate parent
🏛️
Soi Group Limited
Corporate parent · holds 75-100% shares · board control
ultimate parent
ST ANDREWS INSTRUMENTATION LIMITED
This company · SC413998

Parent relationships inferred from Persons with Significant Control filings. Full subsidiary tree requires reverse-lookup (coming).

Shareholders & ownership

2 active beneficial owners · dominant holder ≥75%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
St Andrews Innovation Ltd
Corporate entity
75100%
75-100% shares01/08/2024
Soi Group Limited
Corporate entity
75100%
75–100%board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control · firm interest06/04/2016

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 · KY postcode area
CompanyEst. valueTurnoverNet worthStaffAgeOppDirector
ABERDEE LIMITED
SC867678 · est 2025 · no financials extracted
ACCOUNTANCY BUSINESS SERVICES LTD
SC884450 · est 2026 · no financials extracted
ADDCONVERT LTD
SC878716 · est 2026 · no financials extracted
AERORA LIMITED
SC814311 · est 2024 · no financials extracted
1y
AERYTHM ENERGY LIMITED
SC865464 · est 2025 · no financials extracted
AFELATAY LTD
SC759225 · est 2023 · no financials extracted
3y
AFRICAN LAKES COMPANY LIMITED
SC463944 · est 2013 · no financials extracted
12y
AKKOUNTED LIMITED
SC622331 · est 2019 · no financials extracted
7y
AL & ROO EVENTS LTD
SC834234 · est 2025 · no financials extracted
1y
ALLAN SINCLAIR LIMITED
SC419412 · est 2012 · no financials extracted
14y
ALLANHILL FARMING CO. LIMITED
SC156144 · est 1995 · no financials extracted
31y
ALMONDVALE ACCOUNTANCY LTD
SC343655 · est 2008 · no financials extracted
17y
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
Incorporated2012-01-06
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC72190 — Other research and experimental development on natural sciences and engineering

Registered office

Walter Bower House Main Street
Guardbridge
St. Andrews
KY16 0US
Scotland

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-04-30
Last made up to: 2024-07-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-02-05
Last: 2026-01-22

Officers (3 active · 2 resigned)

GETTINBY, Michael John
secretary · appointed 2024-05-31
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
MILLICAN, Keith
director · ~66y · appointed 2012-01-06
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
WATSON, Derek Alexander
director · ~56y · appointed 2012-01-06
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
GILLESPIE MACANDREW SECRETARIES LIMITED
corporate-secretary · appointed 2012-01-06 · resigned 2024-04-08
Resigned
MUNDIE, Douglas Stewart
director · ~74y · appointed 2012-01-06 · resigned 2013-04-19
Resigned

Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.

Recent filings (57 total)

confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-01-26
accounts-with-accounts-type-audit-exemption-subsiduary
accounts · AA
2025-03-12
legacy
accounts · PARENT_ACC
2025-03-12
legacy
other · AGREEMENT2
2025-03-12
legacy
other · GUARANTEE2
2025-03-12
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC02
2025-02-06
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-01-27
appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-date
officers · AP03
2024-05-31
accounts-with-accounts-type-audit-exemption-subsiduary
accounts · AA
2024-04-25
legacy
accounts · PARENT_ACC
2024-04-25
legacy
other · AGREEMENT2
2024-04-25
legacy
other · GUARANTEE2
2024-04-25
termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM02
2024-04-16
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-01-24
accounts-with-accounts-type-audit-exemption-subsiduary
accounts · AA
2023-04-20