ATHENA ENGINEERING AND DESIGN LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
SC414543 · ltd · incorporated 2012-01-16
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
not disclosed
Net worth
book net assets
Opportunity
73/100
Strong
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What this business does
Primary activity: Management consultancy activities other than financial management
Sector: Professional, scientific & technical
Investor take
Pursue
Strong opportunity: active trading company with strong profile and bankable structure.

Opportunity 73/100 (strong), bankability 75/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. 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 (58/100).

Data confidence

Overall: medium (55/100)

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
1 officers (1 active, 1 linked, 1 with DOB)
90
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
43 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
73/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

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

Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
50
Some acquirability indicators.
Risk profile
85
Few red flags.
Signal strength
90
Good data coverage for analysis.

Recent activity

Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
0
filings
Last 180 days
2
filings
  • 1 confirmation-statement
  • 1 address
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (17 events)Click to expand
  1. 2025-11-20
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  2. 2025-09-11
    📄
    accounts-amended-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AAMD
  3. 2025-09-11
    📄
    accounts-amended-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AAMD
  4. 2025-08-01
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  5. 2024-09-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  6. 2023-08-31
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  7. 2022-08-24
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  8. 2021-07-14
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  9. 2020-08-24
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  10. 2020-02-24
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  11. 2019-12-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  12. 2019-03-13
    📄
    cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
  13. 2018-12-20
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  14. 2018-01-15
    📄
    notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
  15. 2017-11-24
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  16. 2012-01-16
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As ATHENA ENGINEERING AND DESIGN LIMITED
  17. 2012-01-16
    APPS, Ross appointed
    director

Owner dependency

80/100
Critical — business is the founder

The 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.
  • +No director turnover: Company is 14 years old with no director changes — suggests a very tight-knit founder team never broadened.

Succession & seller-readiness

58/100
Strong succession signal

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

SIGNALS
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • 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.)

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mr Ross Apps
Individual · British · DOB 07/1982 · age 44
75100%
75–100%board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control06/04/2016
1 historic (ceased) PSC
  • Mr Ross Appsceased 13/03/2019· 75-100% shares

From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.

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Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
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Company details

Statusactive
Typeltd
Incorporated2012-01-16
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC70229 — Management consultancy activities other than financial management

Registered office

31 Northcote Avenue
Aberdeen
AB15 7TD
Scotland

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-12-31
Last made up to: 2025-03-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-01-24
Last: 2026-01-10

Officers (1 active · 0 resigned)

APPS, Ross
director · ~44y · appointed 2012-01-16
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active

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

Recent filings (43 total)

confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-01-17
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2025-11-20
accounts-amended-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AAMD
2025-09-11
accounts-amended-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AAMD
2025-09-11
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-08-01
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-01-17
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-09-30
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-01-12
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2023-08-31
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-01-10
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2022-08-24
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-01-10
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2021-07-14
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-01-22
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2020-08-24