17CICADA LTD

Executive Summary

17CICADA LTD is a Cambridge-based biotech research and chemical manufacturing startup with strong scientific leadership and innovation capabilities. While it benefits from strategic positioning in a leading innovation hub and has established foundational R&D assets, the company currently faces financial pressures including negative working capital and net asset depletion. To realize growth, it should focus on securing stable funding, forming strategic partnerships, and advancing its product development pipeline to transition from research to commercial viability.

17CICADA LTD - Analysis Report

Company Number: 13429166

Analysis Date: 2025-07-20 18:58 UTC

1. Strategic Assets

17CICADA LTD operates within the biotechnology research and chemical manufacturing sectors, positioning itself in a high-innovation, science-driven niche. Its strategic assets include specialized intangible assets such as trademarks and tangible laboratory equipment valued at approximately £19,700, underscoring a focus on R&D capabilities. The company’s location at St. John’s Innovation Centre in Cambridge, a known tech and science cluster, provides access to advanced knowledge networks and talent. The presence of a Chief Technology Officer among its directors reflects a technology-led leadership approach. The company has demonstrated the ability to secure significant prepayments/accrued income (£106,621) indicating client or grant-backed funding, which supports its R&D activities. The company’s shareholders and voting rights are held by individuals with scientific and managerial expertise, suggesting strong governance aligned with its technical mission.

2. Growth Opportunities

Given its core focus on biotechnology R&D and chemical product manufacturing, 17CICADA LTD has growth potential in leveraging emerging biotech trends such as synthetic biology, personalized medicine, or novel chemical synthesis methods. Expansion could be pursued through strategic partnerships with academic institutions or industry players to accelerate product development and commercialization. Additionally, the company could capitalize on government grants or innovation funding, as indicated by its accounting policies regarding such grants, to underpin further research initiatives. Broadening its product portfolio or moving into scalable manufacturing could transform it from a research-centric entity to a commercial biotech firm. Its Cambridge location affords opportunities to tap into venture capital and innovation ecosystems to support scaling efforts.

3. Strategic Risks

The company’s financials reveal a significant deterioration in net assets, moving from £61,305 positive in 2023 to a negative £14,984 in 2024, driven by increased creditors (£143,905) surpassing current assets (£109,172). The high level of trade creditors (£74,266) and other creditors (£60,961) may indicate liquidity pressure. Negative working capital (£34,733) raises concerns about short-term financial stability. The company is still in a pre-profit phase with notable operating expenses—wages and salaries increased to £182,879 with an average headcount growing to 8 employees, reflecting investment in human capital but also elevated cash burn. The classification as a small company with exemption from audit reduces external financial scrutiny, which may limit transparency for investors. The company’s reliance on prepayments and accrued income as current assets suggests dependency on external funding, exposing it to risks if such funding diminishes. Market risks include rapid technological changes in biotech and regulatory challenges inherent in chemical product development.

4. Market Position

17CICADA LTD is an early-stage, innovation-driven player within the UK’s biotechnology and chemical manufacturing sector. It appears to be predominantly a research and development entity, focusing on experimental biotech applications with a niche specialization as indicated by its SIC codes. The company’s Cambridge base situates it advantageously in a cluster of biotech innovation, but it currently operates with constrained financial resources and is not yet established as a commercial manufacturing entity. Its market position is that of a specialized, knowledge-intensive startup potentially poised to translate scientific advances into commercial products, pending successful development milestones and financial stabilization.