Press Release: Bristol Businesses join forces to improve global sourcing

Two Bristol businesses on opposite sides of the enterprise-scale will be teaming up, as international manufacturer Imperial Brands signs up with local software company, Market Dojo.

Global tobacco company, Imperial Brands, has signed a long-term contract with Market Dojo, a Bristol-based technology business founded by three Bristol University graduates.  

Market Dojo will provide their Procurement software replacing a much larger competitor, based in the US, that previously held the contract.

Over the past two years, Market Dojo has grown from seven staff to twenty-four. Their client base has also grown, attracting global clients from Premier League football teams to high-street retailers.

Market Dojo co-founder, and Bristol resident, Nick Drewe, explains his delight in working with Imperial Brands, who are headquartered near Ashton Gate:

“We are delighted to begin supporting Imperial Brands. Bristol is becoming a fantastic technology hub and this opportunity to support a global, yet local brand, is really exciting for us on a personal level. When we spoke to the Imperial Procurement team, it became quickly apparent that the challenges they were facing matched the reason why we started Market Dojo.”

The business, who secured a grant from a West of England Local Enterprise Partnership back in 2013, was started by Drewe and his co-founders, Alun Rafique and Nic Martin, around a kitchen table in Bishopston a decade ago. 

Having all worked in the procurement or software industry, the three Bristol graduates wanted to create an accessible web-application that would help Procurement teams collect and manage information and proposals from suppliers online. 

Procurement teams help companies’ to get the best value for their money and look after the supply chain. Teams will often use email and spreadsheets, or legacy software platforms to do so. Creating potential problems with efficiency and productivity.

Ciaran Owens, the Procurement Technology Lead at Imperial Brands, believes Market Dojo’s user-friendly and agile approach could be the organisation’s answer for ensuring success:

“Market Dojo focuses on ease of use, which is exactly what we needed. It provides a more efficient and user-friendly experience for our internal users, as well as our suppliers. It is great to be supporting a local business, who are competing and beating their more established global competition.”

Read the Business Live Article Here.