CFU

What CFU does

CFU Ltd is a privately-held, family-run UK retailer headquartered in Bolton that specialises in refurbished, second-user, ex-liquidation, and end-of-line IT equipment. The company has operated in the refurbished-IT market for over 17 years and sells through two channels: an OpenCart-powered direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront at cfultd.com and a physical showroom in Bolton where customers can view, purchase, and collect items in person. Its catalogue spans business laptops (Lenovo, HP, Dell Latitude), desktop base units (HP ProDesk, Dell Optiplex, Fujitsu Esprimo, Lenovo ThinkStation), refurbished LCD/LED monitors, gaming PCs, refurbished Apple products (M1 iMac, MacBook), and computer cables/peripherals, with prices ranging from £20 (entry-level monitors) to £700 (high-spec gaming rigs). A distinctive niche is the sale of legacy Windows XP, Windows 7, and Windows 10 32-bit systems - including units with 9-pin COM ports - aimed at users requiring compatibility with older industrial, POS, or serial-port-dependent software.

Commercially, CFU generates one-time retail revenue from unit-priced hardware sales with VAT-inclusive pricing, supplemented by a 5% affiliate commission program and £1-£1,000 gift certificates. The company offers free next-working-day tracked and insured delivery to UK mainland, a 90-day return-to-base warranty, and payment via PayPal, cash, debit/credit cards including AMEX. All devices undergo hard disc erasure, fresh OS installation, Windows updates, driver installation, and pre-dispatch testing. Customer segments include home users and students seeking affordable computing, small and medium businesses procuring cost-effective office hardware, and niche legacy-system users requiring older Windows configurations.

Operationally, CFU is a micro-enterprise with 1-10 employees, no parent company, no subsidiaries, no disclosed funding rounds, no M&A activity, no patents or trademarks, and no enterprise anchor customers. Geographic reach is restricted to the UK mainland with postcode exclusions covering much of the Scottish Highlands and Islands. No AI/ML, API, or data-product capability is present in the source material; the company's differentiation rests on operational know-how in refurbishment workflows, long-tail inventory breadth across Windows generations, and an omnichannel (online + showroom) fulfilment footprint.

Name

CFU

Legal name

CFU Ltd

Website

https://cfultd.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CFU Ltd is a UK-based, family-run retailer specialising in refurbished and ex-liquidation IT equipment, selling laptops, desktops, monitors, gaming PCs, and legacy Windows systems direct-to-consumer via its cfultd.com e-commerce site and a Bolton showroom, serving home users, SMEs, and legacy-software customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Refurbished IT Equipment Retail

NAICS

Electronics and Appliance Retailers (44921)

SIC

Retail-Computer & Computer Software Stores (5734), Wholesale-Computers & Peripheral Equipment & Software (5045)

akta.pro primary industry

Certified Refurbished Electronics Retail (CRACAJAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Spare Parts & Replacement Components Retail (Batteries, Screens, Chargers) (CRACAJAG)

Keywords

• Refurbished IT equipment
• Second-user computers
• Ex-liquidation hardware
• Refurbished business laptops
• Legacy Windows PCs

Headquarters

HQ city

Bolton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Retail sales of refurbished IT hardware: One-time retail revenue from the sale of refurbished computers, laptops, monitors, and accessories through the company's e-commerce website and physical showroom. Products are priced individually with VAT included in listed prices. The company also offers a 5% commission affiliate program generating referral-based revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

CFU Ltd sells refurbished, second-hand, and ex-liquidation IT hardware — laptops, desktop base units, monitors, gaming PCs, Apple products, legacy Windows systems, cables, and peripherals — through its own e-commerce storefront and a Bolton showroom. Devices are professionally refurbished (hard disc erasure, fresh OS install, updates, driver install, full testing) and sold with a 90-day RTB warranty, free UK mainland next-working-day delivery, and an affiliate referral program.

Product overview

CFU Ltd is a specialist retailer of refurbished, second-hand, and ex-liquidation IT equipment and computers. The company operates an e-commerce platform (powered by OpenCart) selling a diverse portfolio of pre-owned hardware across multiple product categories including laptops (Lenovo, HP, Dell, Apple), desktop base units (HP ProDesk, Dell Optiplex, Fujitsu Esprimo, Lenovo ThinkStation), monitors (Dell, Acer), gaming PCs, and computer peripherals and cables. CFU also specializes in legacy systems pre-installed with older Windows operating systems (XP, 7, 10 32-bit) for customers with specific compatibility requirements. Products are sourced from corporate end-of-line disposals and liquidations, professionally refurbished, and sold with warranty support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Refurbished Desktop PCs and Base Units Refurbished desktop computers and base units including HP ProDesk series, Dell Optiplex series, Fujitsu Esprimo, Lenovo ThinkStation, and Acer Aspire systems in SFF, Mini PC, and Tower form factors. Sold to home users, students, and small businesses seeking affordable office and gaming workstations.
• Refurbished Laptops Refurbished and second-hand laptops from Lenovo, HP, Dell, and Apple. Range includes business laptops (Lenovo V series, HP ProBook, Dell Latitude), gaming laptops, and professional workstations. Targeted at consumers, students, and SMB buyers.
• Refurbished Monitors (LCD/LED) Refurbished and second-user LCD and LED monitors ranging from 19-inch to 27-inch displays, including Dell P series, Acer monitors, and various branded displays. Dual monitor bundles with stands are also offered for multi-screen office setups.
• Complete Systems and All-in-Ones Complete desktop system bundles including all-in-one computers such as Apple iMac and pre-configured desktop packages with monitors, designed for buyers wanting a turnkey refurbished computing setup.
• Refurbished Apple Products Refurbished Apple products including iMac desktop computers with M1 chip, MacBook laptops, and Apple accessories, sold to consumers and small businesses wanting Apple hardware at lower-than-new prices.
• Gaming PCs Pre-built refurbished gaming desktop computers featuring Intel Core i7 processors, NVIDIA graphics cards (GTX 1650, RTX 3050), and AMD Ryzen processors with dedicated graphics. Marketed to gaming enthusiasts seeking affordable high-performance systems.
• Legacy Windows Systems (XP, 7, 10 32-bit) Computers pre-installed with older Windows operating systems including Windows XP, Windows 7, and Windows 10 32-bit, designed for users requiring legacy software compatibility for industrial, POS, or specialised applications — including units with serial/COM ports.
• Cables and Chargers Computer cables and chargers including USB-C cables, power cables, VGA cables, network cables, and laptop chargers from various manufacturers. Sold individually and in bulk job-lot bundles.
• Computer Peripherals Computer peripherals including keyboards, mice and input devices, external optical drives, external hard drives and caddies, and speakers, sold alongside refurbished systems to complete customer setups.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Bargain Hardware: UK refurbished IT retailer offering new, refurbished and ex-leased servers, workstations, desktops, and laptops. Closely comparable to CFU on refurbished business hardware, B2B trade focus, and UK-only delivery model.
• Tier1Online: UK-based specialist retailer of refurbished laptops, desktops, and IT hardware serving consumers and businesses. Directly comparable to CFU in product category (refurbished business-class PCs from Dell, HP, Lenovo), target customers, and warranty-backed e-commerce model.
• Econ Computers: UK IT refurbishment and remarketing company selling ex-corporate desktops, laptops and monitors with warranty to consumers and resellers. Comparable business model, sourcing strategy (corporate end-of-life), and SMB/consumer target segments to CFU.
• Stone Refurb: Stone Group's refurbished/renew division in the UK supplies remanufactured desktops, laptops, and Chromebooks to public sector and enterprise. Comparable refurbished IT model with B2B orientation, though operates at meaningfully larger scale than CFU.
• Refurb-Computer: UK specialist in refurbished laptops, desktops, and monitors with warranty-backed sales. Directly comparable to CFU in product mix (refurbished business-class hardware), customer segments, and online-first UK retail model.
• Boxx (Box.co.uk): UK-based retailer of refurbished and ex-lease IT including desktops, laptops and workstations with warranty and trade pricing. Comparable refurbished IT focus and B2B/consumer dual-channel model; overlaps directly with CFU's product mix and target customers.

Broad incumbents

• Dell Outlet / Dell Refurbished: Dell's official refurbished and outlet programme selling certified ex-lease and refurbished Dell laptops and desktops direct from the OEM. Broader, well-capitalised incumbent with overlapping product categories and warranty-backed refurbished sales to UK consumers and businesses.
• HP Renew: HP's official refurbished programme for business-class desktops, laptops and workstations, including the UK market. Comparable in product category (refurbished business hardware) but materially larger, OEM-backed, and broader in scope than CFU's reseller model.
• Apple Certified Refurbished: Apple's official refurbished store selling certified pre-owned Macs and iPads with full warranty in the UK and globally. Overlaps with CFU's Apple/Mac product line and refurbished/used positioning, but operates at a much larger scale as an OEM-direct programme.

Others

• IT-Asset Disposal / ITAD Resellers (e.g., Sirius, Recylex): IT asset disposition (ITAD) and corporate refurbishment/remarketing firms that process end-of-life corporate fleets — the supply-side counterparts to refurbishment retailers. Indirectly comparable to CFU since they supply the liquidation/ex-corporate pipeline that CFU draws from, though they sell primarily through wholesale rather than retail channels.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cfu-limited

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CFU