THE COMPANY OF BIOLOGISTS
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Next accounts due
2026-09-30 (in 4mo)
Last filed for 2024-12-31
Confirmation statement due
2026-07-07 (in 2mo)
Last made up 2025-06-23
Watchouts
Cash
£5M
-0.2% vs 2023
Net assets
£79M
+12% vs 2023
Employees
69
+3% vs 2023
Profit before tax
-£2M
-36.5% vs 2023
Watchouts
Facts from the Companies House register and the latest accounts — not a rating
-
3 officer resignations in last 12 months
Multiple officers have left the board recently — see the People section for who.
Name history
Renamed 1 time since incorporation
- THE COMPANY OF BIOLOGISTS 2024-11-12 → present
- THE COMPANY OF BIOLOGISTS, LIMITED 2015-12-18 → 2024-11-12
Net assets
2-year trend · vs Industrials median
Accounts
2-year trend · latest reflected 2024-12-31
| Metric | Trend | 2023-12-31 | 2024-12-31 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turnover | £7,266,905 | £6,951,266 | |
| Operating profit | — | — | |
| Profit before tax | -£1,112,224 | -£1,518,679 | |
| Net profit | £4,376,166 | £8,335,661 | |
| Cash | £5,108,402 | £5,099,011 | |
| Total assets less current liabilities | £70,521,657 | £78,954,223 | |
| Net assets | £70,521,657 | £78,954,223 | |
| Equity | £70,521,657 | £78,954,223 | |
| Average employees | 67 | 69 | |
| Wages | £2,761,618 | £2,926,615 |
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
Ratios
Computed from the line items above — sparklines read oldest → newest
| Ratio | Trend | 2023-12-31 | 2024-12-31 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Net margin | 60.2% | 119.9% | |
| Current ratio | 1.27x | 1.14x |
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.
Audit & accounting basis
- Accounting basis
- FRS 102
- Reporting scope
- Standalone (parent only)
- Auditor
- Price Bailey LLP
- Audit opinion
- Unqualified (clean)
- Going concern
- Affirmed
“The trustees have a reasonable expectation that the Company has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Accordingly, the financial statements continue to be prepared on the going concern basis as there are no material uncertainties about the Company's ability to continue to operate.”
Significant events
- “Following the conclusion of the external review, there was an internal reorganisation at the start of 2025 with the purpose of placing the Company in the best position to navigate the future.”
- “In 2020, the Company agreed to pursue a policy of divestment from companies actively extracting fossil fuels with the aim to move to ESG-compliant investments. Actions taken since November 2020 have reduced fossil fuel exposure at the portfolio level from 3.1% to 0.7% (2023: 0.7%).”
- “The Company's journals were the first in the world to be afforded Transformative Journal status by cOAlition S. We believe this clearly signals our commitment to move towards Open Access, while allowing us to provide publishing options that support all our authors.”
- “During 2024, we moved to a new manuscript tracking system; completed an online accessibility audit; deployed a new cookie consent management system to comply with new EU policies; and trialled an AI tool for creating lay summaries.”
- “During 2024, we strengthened our research integrity checks to detect papermill submissions and data manipulation, becoming a signatory of United2Act Against Paper Mills.”
Auditor, going-concern and subsidiary information is drawn from the narrative of the latest annual accounts. About these numbers
People
15 active · 66 resigned
| Name | Role | Appointed | Born | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WARD, Catherine | Secretary | 2023-08-24 | — | — |
| BRAY, Sarah Jane, Professor | Director | 2016-02-26 | Dec 1958 | British |
| ISACKE, Clare Margaret, Professor | Director | 2011-02-25 | Jan 1957 | British |
| KELLY, Steven Bryan, Professor | Director | 2024-07-05 | Jun 1980 | Irish |
| LANGDALE, Jane Alison, Professor | Director | 2012-02-17 | Aug 1960 | British |
| LOWELL, Sarah Elizabeth, Doctor | Director | 2019-07-22 | Jul 1970 | British |
| MILL, Pleasantine, Dr | Director | 2025-07-11 | May 1975 | Canadian |
| PEIFER, Mark Alan, Dr | Director | 2025-07-11 | Nov 1958 | American |
| RIGBY, Peter William Jack, Professor | Director | 2016-02-26 | Jul 1947 | British |
| ROYLE, Stephen John, Professor | Director | 2018-11-15 | Feb 1977 | British |
| SHIELS, Holly, Professor | Director | 2018-11-15 | Dec 1971 | British,Canadian |
| SMITH, Austin Gerard, Professor | Director | 2024-07-05 | Aug 1960 | British |
| ST JOHNSTON, Robert Daniel, Professor | Director | 1995-06-16 | Apr 1960 | British |
| TAIT, Stephen, Professor | Director | 2025-07-11 | Feb 1975 | British |
| URBÉ, Sylvie, Professor | Director | 2025-07-11 | Feb 1968 | Luxembourger |
Show 66 resigned officers
| Name | Role | Appointed | Resigned |
|---|---|---|---|
| RICHMOND, Kay Anita | Secretary | 2001-10-24 | 2023-08-23 |
| SKAER, Richard John, Dr | Secretary | — | 2001-10-05 |
| AKAM, Michael Edwin | Director | — | 1995-06-16 |
| ANDREW, Jeffrey Stewart | Director | 2002-04-26 | 2004-01-19 |
| ANSTEE, John Howard, Prof | Director | 1994-06-10 | 2015-11-13 |
| BENJAMIN, Paul Robert, Dr | Director | — | 1993-06-11 |
| BRISCOE, James Michael, Dr | Director | 2004-04-30 | 2018-07-13 |
| BROCKES, Jeremy Patrick | Director | 2000-06-09 | 2004-02-02 |
| BURKE, Julian Francis | Director | 1993-04-23 | 2024-07-05 |
| COSSINS, Andrew Robert, Prof | Director | 2004-12-08 | 2018-07-13 |
| CRITCHLEY, David Royston, Professor | Director | 1993-04-23 | 2003-06-23 |
| CROMPTON, David William Thomasson, Professor | Director | — | 2001-01-01 |
| CURTIS, Adam Sebastian Genevieve, Professor | Director | — | 1999-06-11 |
| DATTANI, Mehul Tulsidas, Professor | Director | 2007-10-26 | 2013-03-20 |
| DAVIES, Kay, Professor | Director | 1995-10-06 | 1999-09-22 |
| DAVIES, Peter Spencer, Doctor | Director | — | 2000-06-09 |
| DOWNIE, Alastair | Director | 2013-02-08 | 2022-01-10 |
| FAROOQI, Ismaa Sadaf, Professor | Director | 2019-04-23 | 2022-07-08 |
| FREEMAN, Matthew, Professor | Director | 2003-06-23 | 2023-07-05 |
| GRIFFITHS, Gillian, Professor | Director | 2024-07-05 | 2024-10-04 |
| GULL, Keith, Professor | Director | 2003-10-10 | 2009-10-16 |
| GURDON, John Bertrand, Professor Sir | Director | 2000-06-09 | 2011-07-22 |
| GURDON, John Bertrand, Professor Sir | Director | — | 1995-01-06 |
| HALL, Wendy, Professor Dame | Director | 1995-06-16 | 2004-01-12 |
| HEANEY, Henry Joseph | Director | 1993-06-11 | 1998-06-12 |
| HORN, Gabriel | Director | — | 1993-06-11 |
| HORWITZ, Alan | Director | 2005-01-07 | 2013-10-02 |
| HUGHES, George Morgan | Director | — | 1992-06-19 |
| HUNT, Richard Timothy, Dr | Director | 1995-10-06 | 2009-07-24 |
| HUNT, Tim, Sir | Director | 2011-02-25 | 2015-06-15 |
| JOHNSON, Martin Hume | Director | — | 1994-06-10 |
| JOHNSTON, Ian Alastair, Professor | Director | 1994-01-07 | 1999-06-11 |
| KEHOE, Kathleen | Director | 1997-06-13 | 2011-07-22 |
| LASKEY, Ronald Alfred, Professor | Director | 2009-02-13 | 2012-01-05 |
| LASKEY, Ronald Alfred, Professor | Director | — | 1998-09-14 |
| LEWIN, Benjamin, Dr | Director | 2002-03-18 | 2004-07-02 |
| LOCKWOOD, Anthony Peter Murray | Director | — | 1993-06-11 |
| MACHESKY, Laura Marie, Professor | Director | 2011-10-20 | 2025-07-11 |
| MADDRELL, Simon Hugh Piper, Professor | Director | 2011-05-20 | 2020-09-10 |
| MOODY, William, Professor | Director | 1998-01-09 | 2000-06-09 |
| MORETON, Roger Bernard | Director | — | 1996-06-14 |
| MUNRO, Bruce Sean, Dr | Director | 2012-02-17 | 2025-07-11 |
| NILSSON, Goran Erik, Professor | Director | 2011-08-01 | 2024-07-05 |
| NOBLE-NESBITT, John, Doctor | Director | — | 2015-07-24 |
| PARTRIDGE, Linda, Professor | Director | 2001-04-26 | 2004-06-02 |
| RAFF, Jordan, Dr | Director | 2003-06-23 | 2011-07-07 |
| RAFF, Martin Charles, Professor | Director | 1992-01-03 | 2016-05-19 |
| ROSER, Bruce Joseph, Dr | Director | — | 1995-01-06 |
| SACK, John | Director | 2005-05-16 | 2010-10-26 |
| SHELTON, Graham | Director | — | 1995-10-06 |
| SLACK, Jonathan Michael Wyndham | Director | 1994-09-29 | 2000-06-09 |
| SMITH, James Cuthbert, Professor Sir | Director | — | 2002-10-07 |
| SOMERO, George N, Professor | Director | 2003-10-10 | 2008-09-18 |
| SPEAKMAN, John Roger, Professor | Director | 2005-01-17 | 2011-07-07 |
| STOREY, Kate Gillian, Professor | Director | 2007-02-23 | 2022-10-07 |
| TAYLOR, Edwin William | Director | — | 1994-06-10 |
| THORNDYKE, Michael Charles, Professor | Director | 1993-06-11 | 1997-06-13 |
| TICKLE, Cheryll Anne, Professor | Director | 2010-07-23 | 2016-07-29 |
| TUBLITZ, Nathan | Director | 1996-01-05 | 2004-07-02 |
| VYAS, Paresh, Professor | Director | 2014-05-22 | 2021-12-31 |
| WARNER, Anne Elizabeth, Professor | Director | — | 2004-07-02 |
| WATT, Fiona Mary | Director | — | 1992-01-01 |
| WELLS, Martin John | Director | — | 1995-06-16 |
| WILLIAMS, Jeffrey Graham, Dr | Director | 1992-06-19 | 1994-09-29 |
| WILSON, Alan Martin, Professor | Director | 2009-02-13 | 2026-03-04 |
| WOLPERT, Lewis, Professor | Director | — | 1999-06-11 |
Ownership
Persons with significant control
Filing timeline
Last 20 of 278 total filings
Material constitutional events — rename, articles re-file, resolution
- 2024-11-12 CERTNM Certificate change of name company
- 2024-11-12 NE01 Change of name exemption
- 2024-11-12 CONNOT Change of name notice
- 2024-10-21 RESOLUTIONS Resolution
- 2024-10-21 MA Memorandum articles
| Date | Type | Category | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-13 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2025-11-12 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2025-09-01 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2025-07-24 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2025-07-24 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2025-07-24 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2025-07-24 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2025-07-24 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2025-06-27 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2024-11-12 | CERTNM | change-of-name | Certificate change of name company | |
| 2024-11-12 | NE01 | change-of-name | Change of name exemption | |
| 2024-11-12 | CONNOT | change-of-name | Change of name notice | |
| 2024-10-21 | RESOLUTIONS | resolution | Resolution | |
| 2024-10-21 | MA | incorporation | Memorandum articles | |
| 2024-10-07 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2024-09-23 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2024-07-18 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2024-07-18 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2024-07-18 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2024-07-18 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date |
Public-record activity
Raw counts from Companies House — last 12–24 months
- Filings
- 9
- Capital events
- 0
- Officers appointed
- 4
- Officers resigned
- 3
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.
Year-on-year
FY2023 → FY2024 · period ending 2024-12-31 vs 2023-12-31
-
Turnover
-4.3%
£7,266,905 £6,951,266
-
Cash
-0.2%
£5,108,402 £5,099,011
-
Net assets
+12%
£70,521,657 £78,954,223
-
Employees
+3%
67 69
-
Profit before tax
-36.5%
-£1,112,224 -£1,518,679
-
Wages
+6%
£2,761,618 £2,926,615
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