News / Startups
Female entrepreneur’s latest venture wins top regional award
A business founder and entrepreneur whose past ventures led to major acquisition deals has been recognised for her latest venture.
Jess Saumarez, founder of The Marketing Plot, has won the South West StartUp Award 2025 in the Consulting & Management category.
Founded two years ago, The Marketing Plot has supported over 30 businesses across the UK and Europe, helping them refine their positioning, build marketing momentum and achieve measurable commercial results.
The Bristol-based consultancy offers chief marketing support to B2B businesses, free mentoring to female founders and strategic clarity to companies aiming to scale sustainably.
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Jess is no novice to the game with previous startups to her credit, scaling to acquisition. These included Hedira, a free app that provided personalised notifications for indoor plant care, and LUX Rewards, co-founded with James Courtney. The latter went on to secure a multi-million-dollar acquisition with the team led by Courtney, Tom Munday and Ash Dey.
A graduate of the NatWest Accelerator, Jess also serves as an entrepreneur-in-residence for both SETsquared and NatWest’s Back Her Business initiative, making her a well-known figure in Bristol’s innovation ecosystem.
On receiving the award, Jess said: “Winning this award is a huge honour and a proud moment for our small team. We set out to give ambitious businesses the strategic marketing support they truly need, without the fluff or inflated agency fees.
“To have that work recognised at a regional level is incredibly meaningful. It reflects the trust our clients have put in us and the care we bring to every project. Next up: continuing to grow, mentoring more founders, and helping even more B2B teams unlock their marketing potential.”
Professor Dylan Jones-Evans, creator of the UK StartUp Awards, said: “Entrepreneurs across the UK are reshaping the economic landscape and transforming bold ideas into thriving ventures and ambition into lasting impact.
“That’s why we created the StartUp Awards — to celebrate those who are building something from nothing and changing their communities in the process.”
He lauded the “entrepreneurial spirit” of the region: “In the South West, that entrepreneurial spirit runs deep, and these entrepreneurs are building everything from cutting-edge digital products to sustainable food brands and green energy solutions, often rooted in a strong sense of place and purpose.
“I’m delighted that The Marketing Plot has won their category at the awards and I’m looking forward to having them join the ‘best of the best’ from the South West competing at the UK final later this year.”
All regional winners will now go on to compete at the UK StartUp Awards final, taking place at Ideas Fest in September — dubbed the “Glastonbury of Entrepreneurs.”
All photos: Startup Awards
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