search_companies

Search for UK companies by name, location, or industry classification.

TOOL

Overview

The search_companies tool provides powerful search capabilities across the UK companies database. It supports fuzzy matching, automatic suffix handling, and returns lightweight selection data for efficient browsing.

What You Can Search

Parameter	Description	Example
name	Company name (partial match supported)	"Tesco", "British Airways"
location	Location/address to filter by	"London", "Cambridge"
sic_code	Standard Industrial Classification code	"47110" (retail), "62" (tech)
limit	Maximum results to return	Default 20, max 100

Search Behavior

Smart Name Matching

The search automatically handles company suffixes:

• Strips LIMITED, LTD, PLC, LLP
• Case-insensitive matching
• Partial name matching

Examples:

• "Tesco" finds all Tesco companies
• "ABC LIMITED" automatically searches for "ABC"
• "brit air" finds British Airways companies

Example Queries

Find Companies by Name

"Search for companies named Tesla in the UK"

Claude will find all UK-registered companies with "Tesla" in the name.

Search by Location

"Find technology companies in Cambridge"

Claude combines name and location filters to find relevant companies.

Industry-Specific Search

"Show me retail companies in London"

Claude uses SIC codes to filter by industry type.

Multiple Criteria

"Find all software companies in Edinburgh with 'tech' in the name"

Claude combines multiple search parameters for precise results.

Response Data

The search returns lightweight company information:

• Company number (unique identifier)
• Company name
• Status (Active, Dissolved, etc.)
• Type (Ltd, PLC, LLP, etc.)
• Incorporation date
• Registered address
• Industry codes
• Latest accounts date

Handling Multiple Results

When multiple companies match:

You: "Search for Amazon companies in the UK"

Claude: I found several Amazon companies registered in the UK:

1. AMAZON UK SERVICES LTD (03223028) - Active
   Main UK operating company for Amazon
   
2. AMAZON WEB SERVICES UK LIMITED (08813383) - Active
   AWS cloud services UK entity
   
3. AMAZON DIGITAL UK LIMITED (06528297) - Active
   Digital content and services

Which company would you like more details about?

Tips for Better Searches

Be Specific When Needed

• Use location to narrow results: "Sainsbury's in London"
• Add industry context: "Tesla manufacturing companies"

Use Partial Names

• "Rolls" finds all Rolls-Royce entities
• "Virgin" finds Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Media, etc.

Don't Worry About Suffixes

• Search "ABC" instead of "ABC LIMITED"
• The tool handles suffix stripping automatically

Common Use Cases

Due Diligence

"Search for all companies where John Smith might be a director"
"Find all subsidiaries of Vodafone"

Market Research

"List all electric vehicle companies in the UK"
"Find fintech startups in London"

Competitor Analysis

"Show me all supermarket chains in the UK"
"Find companies similar to Deliveroo"

Next Steps

Once you've found companies:

• Use get_company_details for full information
• Use calculate_financial_ratios for financial analysis
• Use quick_financial_summary for key metrics

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