Software Circle PLC Listed in Companies Court
Software Circle PLC (company number 03983312) appeared in the Insolvency and Companies Court on 17 September 2026 at 10:30am for a capital reduction hearing under case reference CR-2026-004898. The matter was listed before the court remotely via MS Teams. Unlike insolvency-related petitions, a reduction of capital is a solvent corporate procedure governed by Section 641 of the Companies Act 2006 to cancel or reduce share capital, often undertaken to create distributable reserves or return capital to shareholders. Readers tracking daily court proceedings can consult the daily cause list.
Hearing details
The details recorded on the official court cause list are as follows:
| Attribute | Detail |
| --- | --- |
| Company Name | Software Circle PLC |
| Company Number | 03983312 |
| Case Number | CR-2026-004898 |
| Case Type | Reduction of Capital |
| Court | Insolvency and Companies Court |
| Hearing Date | 17 September 2026 at 10:30am |
| Venue | Remotely via MS Teams |
Company snapshot
Software Circle PLC was incorporated on 28 April 2000 and operates as an active public limited company under SIC code 82990 (Other business support service activities not elsewhere classified). The company's registered office is recorded at C/O Gateley Legal, Ship Canal House, 98 King Street, Manchester, England, M2 4WU.
According to accounts filed at Companies House for the period ending 31 March 2025, the business reported:
- Turnover: £18,300,000
- Net assets: £21,394,000
- Auditor opinion: Unqualified
- Going concern flag: False
The group describes its principal activity as the delivery of Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions, acquiring and operating Vertical Market Software (VMS) businesses across various sectors.
Directors and ownership
The public register records the current active officers of Software Circle PLC as follows:
- Simon Gregory Barrell (Director, appointed 25 June 2018)
- Iain Stewart Brown (Director, appointed 9 January 2020)
- Gavin Graham Cockerill (Director, appointed 23 January 2018)
- Günter Frank Fischer (Director, appointed 2 September 2026)
- Richard Alan Lightfoot (Director, appointed 23 January 2018; Secretary, appointed 6 October 2015)
- Marc Kay Maurer (Director, appointed 18 September 2024)
- Bradley Leonard Ormsby (Director, appointed 18 September 2024)
- Matthias Siegfried Riechert (Director, appointed 31 October 2022)
The Persons with Significant Control (PSC) register confirms two active individual registrations:
- Mr Günter Frank Fischer (notified 20 August 2019), holding 25% to 50% of shares and voting rights.
- Mrs Julia Edeltraut Fischer (notified 20 August 2019), holding 25% to 50% of shares and voting rights.
Official filings show previous directorships held by Pavel Begun, Conrad Christian Bona, Dr Christian Helmut Deckart, Peter Robert Gunning, Reginald George Hardie, Jan-Hendrik Markus Mohr, Anthony Rafferty, Alan Quine Roberts, Hans Scheffer, and Leslie Alan Wheatley. Corporate secretary appointments were previously held by Halliwells Directors Limited, Halliwells Secretaries Limited, and HL Secretaries Limited.
Registration records reflect statutory roles only and carry no implication of insolvency, wrongdoing, or financial distress.
Understanding capital reduction court listings
Court appearances under the case type `reduction_of_capital` form part of standard corporate financial management. Under UK company law, court confirmation is required when a company seeks to reduce its share capital, share premium account, or capital redemption reserve via court order under Section 645 of the Companies Act 2006.
Corporate intelligence professionals differentiate between solvent court approvals and insolvency listings. Performing a winding up search ensures counterparties quickly distinguish between administrative balance-sheet restructuring and creditor enforcement. A statutory winding up search verifies whether any adverse petition or petition advertisement exists on record.
What this means for suppliers, creditors and counterparties
For commercial counterparties, a capital reduction hearing is typically routine and planned. However, robust risk management protocols recommend regular checkups on key trading partners:
1. Verify court order confirmation: Confirm the High Court sanction order is subsequently registered with Companies House via Form SH19.
2. Review financial statements: Examine distributable reserves and note changes to share capital structures in upcoming annual reports.
3. Set up monitoring alerts: Maintain oversight by establishing free company monitoring to receive real-time notices on strategic filings.
How to run a winding up petition search
When conducting complete counterparty due diligence across UK entities, analysts follow a systematic methodology:
- Search public records at Companies House for formal insolvency filings, administration appointments, or charge status.
- Inspect statutory public notices published in The Gazette for winding-up petitions, court orders, or creditor meetings.
- Review the daily Insolvency and Companies Court list to detect pending court hearings.
- Complete a corporate risk assessment by conducting a comprehensive winding up petition search prior to extending major credit lines.
A winding up search before entering major supply agreements protects trading terms and identifies counterparty risks early.
For credit teams and suppliers
Credit underwriters, legal advisers, and finance managers monitor High Court cause lists to protect supply chains and contractual engagements. Catching court applications early avoids unexpected credit exposure and ensures statutory compliance during corporate reorganisations. Automated tools eliminate manual register checks and deliver instantaneous alerts.
FAQ
Is a reduction of capital hearing an indication of insolvency?
No. A reduction of capital is a solvent statutory process used by active companies to restructure balance sheets, generate distributable reserves, or cancel share capital under court supervision.
Why does a capital reduction require a court hearing?
Unless a private company uses the solvency statement route, public companies and certain capital reductions require High Court approval under Section 645 of the Companies Act 2006 to protect creditor interests.
What document is filed after court approval?
Once the court grants the order, the company files court confirmation along with a statement of capital (Form SH19) at Companies House. The reduction takes effect upon registration.
How can counterparties check if a company has active petitions?
Counterparties can search court lists, review statutory notices in The Gazette, or conduct a consolidated company check online.
This report summarises entries on the published court cause list. Presentation of a petition is not a determination of insolvency; the outcome is a matter for the court. Companies believing they are named incorrectly should email contact@corp-intel.co.uk.