Key takeaways
- Every new UK limited company and LLP is recorded at Companies House with an incorporation date, registered office and SIC codes.
- An incorporation date range plus one or two SIC codes is the fastest way to build a relevant list of new businesses.
- Registered offices are often an accountant or formation agent’s address, so confirm where a company actually trades.
- Approach new companies with something genuinely useful, keep volumes low and respect opt-outs under PECR.
Why newly incorporated companies are worth finding
In the first months after incorporation, founders make many decisions quickly: who will do the books, who will build the website, which insurance, which IT setup, which bank. Few of those relationships are fixed yet, so a well-timed, relevant introduction is often welcome rather than an interruption.
New companies also tend to be smaller and more hands-on, which suits freelancers and small agencies. You are more likely to speak directly to the decision-maker, and a good first project can turn into a long relationship as the business grows.
Where the data comes from
Companies House is the UK’s registrar of companies. When a company is incorporated, the register records its name, company number, type (for example a private limited company), incorporation date, registered office address and one or more Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes describing its activities. The register is public, and Companies House makes it available through an official API.
You can browse the register one company at a time on the Companies House website, or download bulk data products. For prospecting, a search that combines an incorporation date range with sector and location filters is far more practical — that is exactly what ClientFinch’s Find Leads search does, using the official API.
Step by step: finding new companies in your niche
The process takes a few minutes once you know which SIC codes describe your ideal clients.
- 01Choose the sectors you serve and look up their five-digit SIC codes — for example 56101 licensed restaurants, 96020 hairdressing and beauty, or 62020 IT consultancy.
- 02Set the incorporation date “from” to 30, 60 or 90 days ago, and leave “to” empty to include today.
- 03Add a town, city or postcode if you only work locally.
- 04Set the status to “Active” to exclude companies that have already been dissolved.
- 05Open each result to check the company type and full registered office, then save the companies that look like a fit.
Interpreting the results
Not every new company is a trading business. Some are holding companies, property vehicles or dormant companies set up for future use. The SIC code, company name and company type are good clues: a company with SIC 68209 (letting of own property) and “Holdings” in its name is unlikely to need a marketing agency.
Registered office addresses are frequently a formation agent, a virtual office or an accountant. If location matters, search for the business itself to confirm where it trades before referencing an area in your message.
Approaching new businesses the right way
Under the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR), you can generally send unsolicited marketing emails to corporate subscribers such as limited companies, provided you identify yourself and offer a simple way to opt out. UK GDPR still applies if you process information about named people, so have a legitimate interest, keep what you store to a minimum and be transparent.
In practice, the most effective approach is also the most respectful: contact a small number of carefully chosen companies, explain briefly why you are getting in touch, offer something useful — a checklist, a quick observation, a relevant example — and make it easy to say no.
Try it: companies incorporated in the last 30 days
Live data- Incorporated: last 30 days
- Status: Active
Free account required — the first companies are free to explore.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. For data protection questions, see the ICO’s direct marketing guidance.