SERIF GROUP LIMITED
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Next accounts due
2026-09-30 (in 4mo)
Last filed for 2024-12-31
Confirmation statement due
2026-07-09 (in 2mo)
Last made up 2025-06-25
Watchouts
None on the register
Cash
£15M
+133.3% vs 2023
Net assets
-£5M
-203.6% vs 2023
Employees
93
+1.1% vs 2023
Profit before tax
-£43M
-482.5% vs 2023
Net assets
2-year trend · vs Technology median
Accounts
2-year trend · latest reflected 2024-12-31
| Metric | Trend | 2023-12-31 | 2024-12-31 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turnover | £24,197,342 | £23,348,739 | |
| Operating profit | £11,369,047 | -£43,490,029 | |
| Profit before tax | £11,369,047 | -£43,490,029 | |
| Net profit | £11,099,766 | -£36,523,814 | |
| Cash | £6,589,005 | £15,370,542 | |
| Total assets less current liabilities | £5,168,067 | -£4,744,592 | |
| Net assets | £4,868,067 | -£5,044,592 | |
| Equity | £4,868,067 | -£5,044,592 | |
| Average employees | 92 | 93 | |
| Wages | £5,909,450 | £30,235,006 | |
| Directors' remuneration | £585,259 | £20,074,929 |
Values shown as filed in the company's annual accounts. — indicates the figure wasn't present under that line item in that period. About these numbers
Year-on-year
FY2023 → FY2024 · period ending 2024-12-31 vs 2023-12-31
-
Turnover
-3.5%
£24,197,342 £23,348,739
-
Cash
+133.3%
£6,589,005 £15,370,542
-
Net assets
-203.6%
£4,868,067 -£5,044,592
-
Employees
+1.1%
92 93
-
Operating profit
-482.5%
£11,369,047 -£43,490,029
-
Profit before tax
-482.5%
£11,369,047 -£43,490,029
-
Wages
+411.6%
£5,909,450 £30,235,006
Each % is (latest − prior) ÷ |prior| for the line item as filed. The comparison is only shown when the latest and prior accounts cover broadly equal-length periods — short or long stubs (typical around incorporation or a year-end change) are suppressed rather than misrepresented. Lines a company doesn't report are omitted. About these numbers
Ratios
Computed from the line items above — sparklines read oldest → newest
| Ratio | Trend | 2023-12-31 | 2024-12-31 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating margin | 47.0% | -186.3% | |
| Net margin | 45.9% | -156.4% | |
| Return on capital employed | 220.0% | 916.6% | |
| Current ratio | 2.04x | 0.82x |
Margins divide P&L lines by turnover. Gearing is liabilities over total assets. Current ratio is current assets over creditors falling due within one year. Interest cover is operating profit over absolute finance costs. Sector-distribution context coming next.
Name history
Renamed 1 time since incorporation
- SERIF GROUP LIMITED 2004-09-06 → present
- NO.538 LEICESTER LIMITED 2004-02-11 → 2004-09-06
Audit & accounting basis
- Accounting basis
- FRS 102
- Reporting scope
- Consolidated group
- Auditor
- Cooper Parry Group Limited
- Audit opinion
- Unqualified (clean)
- Going concern
- Affirmed
“The financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis. The directors have evaluated all relevant conditions, events and information concluding that the company will be able to fulfil all obligations as and when they fall due to the foreseeable future.”
Group structure
- SERIF GROUP LIMITED · parent
- Serif (Europe) Limited 100%
Significant events
- “In March 2024 the group was acquired by Canva.”
Auditor, going-concern and subsidiary information is drawn from the narrative of the latest annual accounts. About these numbers
People
5 active · 10 resigned
| Name | Role | Appointed | Born | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CARPENTER, Todd Christopher | Secretary | 2024-03-20 | — | — |
| CARPENTER, Todd Christopher | Director | 2024-03-20 | Jan 1973 | American |
| CLARK, Duncan Antony Ernest | Director | 2024-03-20 | May 1977 | British |
| HEWSON, Ashley Thomas | Director | 2009-12-10 | Oct 1977 | British |
| WATKINS, Claire Louise Blanche | Director | 2023-08-08 | Nov 1974 | British |
Show 10 resigned officers
| Name | Role | Appointed | Resigned |
|---|---|---|---|
| BATES, Adele | Secretary | 2016-03-10 | 2024-03-20 |
| BATES, Gary John | Secretary | 2004-05-28 | 2016-03-10 |
| BRYCE, Claire | Secretary | 2016-03-10 | 2024-03-20 |
| COX, Rachel Anne | Secretary | 2004-02-11 | 2004-04-21 |
| DOWNS, Kevin | Secretary | 2004-04-21 | 2004-05-28 |
| BATES, Gary John | Director | 2004-04-21 | 2024-03-20 |
| BRYCE, James Douglas Maxwell | Director | 2004-04-21 | 2024-03-20 |
| DOWNS, Kevin | Director | 2004-04-21 | 2004-05-31 |
| EVANS, Malcolm John | Director | 2005-09-19 | 2013-03-21 |
| HARVEY INGRAM SECRETARIES LIMITED | Corporate Director | 2004-02-11 | 2004-04-21 |
Ownership
Persons with significant control
| Name | Kind | Nature of control | Notified | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garjoba Limited | Corporate entity | Shares 25–50% | 2018-03-12 | Ceased 2024-03-20 |
| Mr Gary John Bates | Individual | Voting 25–50% | 2016-04-06 | Ceased 2024-03-20 |
| Mr James Douglas Maxwell Bryce | Individual | Voting 25–50% | 2016-04-06 | Ceased 2024-03-20 |
Filing timeline
Last 20 of 147 total filings
Material constitutional events — rename, articles re-file, resolution
- 2024-04-03 MA Memorandum articles
- 2024-04-03 RESOLUTIONS Resolution
| Date | Type | Category | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-10-03 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type group | |
| 2025-08-06 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with updates | |
| 2024-10-01 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type group | |
| 2024-07-05 | SH01 | capital | Capital allotment shares | |
| 2024-06-25 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with updates | |
| 2024-06-05 | SH01 | capital | Capital allotment shares | |
| 2024-04-03 | MA | incorporation | Memorandum articles | |
| 2024-04-03 | RESOLUTIONS | resolution | Resolution | |
| 2024-03-26 | AP03 | officers | Appoint person secretary company with name date | |
| 2024-03-26 | PSC08 | persons-with-significant-control | Notification of a person with significant control statement | |
| 2024-03-26 | PSC07 | persons-with-significant-control | Cessation of a person with significant control | |
| 2024-03-26 | PSC07 | persons-with-significant-control | Cessation of a person with significant control | |
| 2024-03-26 | PSC07 | persons-with-significant-control | Cessation of a person with significant control | |
| 2024-03-26 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2024-03-26 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2024-03-26 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2024-03-26 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2024-03-26 | TM02 | officers | Termination secretary company with name termination date | |
| 2024-03-26 | TM02 | officers | Termination secretary company with name termination date | |
| 2024-03-18 | RP04CS01 | confirmation-statement | Second filing of confirmation statement with made up date |
Public-record activity
Raw counts from Companies House — last 12–24 months
- Filings
- 2
- Capital events
- 2
- Officers appointed
- 0
- Officers resigned
- 0
last 12 months
last 24 months
last 12 months
last 12 months
Direct counts from the register. No score, no rating — see the Filing timeline for the underlying events.