Sonovate Ltd
Reference number: 613187
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On the register, but not FCA authorised
This firm is registered with the FCA for anti-money-laundering checks only, which is why it appears on the register. That is not authorisation: the FCA does not oversee how it treats customers, and FSCS protection does not apply.
What does this mean?
- Some businesses are required by law to have an anti-money-laundering supervisor. For this kind of business that supervisor is the FCA, and the registration is the only reason the firm appears on the FCA register.
- What the FCA checks is narrow: that the firm identifies its customers, keeps records, and reports suspicious activity. It is the anti-crime paperwork behind a bank asking you for ID.
- It does not check anything about you as a customer. Not whether the firm treats you fairly, not whether it is financially sound, not whether what it sells is any good. The FCA describes firms registered this way as “not authorised or subject to wider FCA regulation”.
- So if the firm fails or treats you badly, there is no FSCS compensation, and the Financial Ombudsman Service usually cannot look at a complaint about unregulated business.
This company holds another FCA record
A company can hold several FCA records, covering different parts of its business, and each one carries its own permissions and protection. The reference number you were given decides which record applies to you.
Website, phone number and address
Compare these against whatever you were given. Scammers clone real firm names and reference numbers but use their own phone number and website, so a detail that does not match the register is the clearest warning sign there is.
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Phone number
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Address
4th Floor Golate House, 101 St Mary Street, Cardiff, South Glamorgan, CF10 1DX, United Kingdom
In the full report: 3 background checks
- When sonovate.com first appeared online, and whether it can receive email
- What kind of line 020 7112 4959 is
- Who else gives the postcode CF10 1DX
Past FCA permissions and consumer protection
- Money-laundering registration onlyThis firm is registered for anti-money-laundering supervision only. It is not FCA-authorised. Money you hand over is not protected by the FSCS, and the Financial Ombudsman Service may not be able to consider a complaint about unregulated business.
FCA disciplinary action and complaints
No FCA disciplinary action.
The Financial Ombudsman Service only publishes complaint figures for firms with 30 or more new complaints in six months, so there are none here for this firm.
Companies House record
The company behind the firm: its status, age, registered office and directors.
- Company name
- SONOVATE LIMITED
- Company number
- 07500445 (opens Companies House in a new tab)
- Company status
- Active
- Company type
- Private limited company
- Incorporated
- 20 January 2011 (15 years old)
- Registered office
- 4th Floor Golate House, 101 St. Mary Street, Cardiff, CF10 1DX, Wales
- Nature of business
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- Business and domestic software development (SIC 62012)
- Data processing, hosting and related activities (SIC 63110)
- Financial intermediation not elsewhere classified (SIC 64999)
- Other research and experimental development on natural sciences and engineering (SIC 72190)
Directors and company secretaries
| Name | Role | Born | Appointed | Other companies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Damon Chapple | Director | Dec 1977 | 20 Jan 2011 | 3 other companies |
| Richard Anthony Prime | Director | Apr 1975 | 20 Jan 2011 | 5 other companies |
| Paul James Birch | Director | May 1966 | 14 Mar 2017 | 4 other companies |
| Michael Birch | Director | Jul 1970 | 5 Mar 2021 | 2 other companies |
| Andrew Neil Scott | Secretary | Not published | 16 Apr 2026 | – |
Other companies run by these 4 directors
A firm is run by people, and their other companies are their track record: what they built, what closed, and anything that failed. It is the check most people never think to make.
- other companies
- 9
- closed down
- 5
- went insolvent
- 1
In the full report: all 9 companies, named
- What each company does, and whether it is still trading
- Which of these 4 directors sit on each board, and since when
- The one that went into liquidation or administration
- The 3 companies these 4 directors run together
- All 7 people who have ever been directors, with their dates
Key dates in its history
Sonovate’s history from the FCA register and Companies House, newest first.
2021
5 March 2021
- Sonovate International Holdings Limited took control (75–100% of shares)
Companies House
2016
25 October 2016
- Paul James Birch stopped being a part-owner
Companies House
10 October 2016
- Paul James Birch became a part-owner (25–50% of shares)
Companies House
2014
24 January 2014
- Registered with the FCA
FCA register
2011
20 January 2011
- Incorporated at Companies House
Companies House
In the full report: all 15 events
- All 15 events in its history (5 shown here)
- Every director appointment and resignation: 10
Get the full report on Sonovate
Everything on this page, plus everything locked above, in one dated PDF you can keep, file or send on.
- 9 other companies its directors have run, named
- 3 background checks on its contact details
- All 15 events in its history
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Frequently asked questions about this firm
Is Sonovate Ltd FCA authorised?
What is Sonovate’s phone number and website?
Is Sonovate a scam or clone?
Is my money safe with Sonovate?
Who owns Sonovate?
Who runs Sonovate?
How long has Sonovate been in business?
Sources and links
- Its entry on the FCA register register.fca.org.uk
- Its Companies House record gov.uk
- Report a scam to the FCA fca.org.uk