AI Search is Hiding Britain's Small Businesses - iwoca Launches 'toro', Free PR for Firms With No Press Office

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--iwoca has launched toro, a free PR tool that helps small businesses with no press office secure media coverage and get noticed in AI search.

Built on two decades of business strategy and communications experience, toro helps SMEs tell their story and tackle an increasingly fragmented attention economy. Designed for business owners short on time and resources, the product spots what’s newsworthy and turns a business update into a story, complete with a press release, social posts and pitches.

The platform targets the millions of smaller businesses that are not served by in-house teams or PR agencies, as the visibility gap between large and small firms widens. Research from Muck Rack found that 84% of the sources AI tools cite are earned - journalism (27%), encyclopedic and academic sources, and third-party coverage - rather than paid placements or a brand's own website. AI rewards those already being talked about: Ahrefs' analysis of 75,000 brands found those with the most mentions across the web appear up to ten times more often in top AI answers. Smaller brands hardly register at all.

But the supply of that influential coverage has shrunk over time. Analysis from Press Gazette found the nine regional publishers since consolidated into Reach, Newsquest and National World employed around 9,000 journalists in 2007; by 2022 the three groups employed up to around 3,000, with at least 293 local titles closed since 2005.

Of the UK's 5.7 million SMEs, 5.4 million have fewer than 10 employees - the firms least likely ever to have appeared in the news. Backed by iwoca, toro is designed to help them build the media presence and content footprint that AI search systems now prioritise.

"The attention economy is fragmenting in real time, and the gap is widening," says Mark Di-Toro - builder of toro. "Hard-working journalists are covering more ground. Meanwhile, AI search is amplifying those with significant visibility across multiple platforms. If you're a small business starting from scratch, you're almost invisible. There's an opportunity to address this if technology is used properly. SMEs just need the right tools to tell their story.”

No mass distribution - tech-led with a human touch

The platform deliberately stops short of mass pitch or press release distribution.

"I intentionally didn't build a tool that fires out thousands of pitches in one go," adds Di-Toro. "Those tools sound efficient, but the results are limited. Users must edit the materials, add the detail only they know, and then reach out to suggested journalists personally. No blanket send-outs, no untargeted pitching. A personal approach combined with a timely story is what cuts through - AI won’t change that.”

“And there's a bigger point here. If media and politicians want to know what's going on in the UK economy, what SMEs care about and what entrepreneurs need, I believe they must hear more from those driving it."