IG Group Alums Launch Platform to Track AI Search Citations

# The Rise of AI Search: How Brands Are Learning to Be Cited

The digital discovery landscape is shifting fast. As consumers turn to ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google's AI Overviews to find local services, businesses face a new hurdle: how to rank in a system that doesn't rely on traditional links or keywords. This challenge has dominated the tech industry for the past year. Today, we see a major breakthrough with the launch of Obsero, founded by former IG Group marketers Michael Logue and Andy Francos. The company secured $1.2 million in seed funding to build a platform dedicated to measuring brand visibility in AI-driven search results.

What Happened: The $1.2M Round and the Launch of Obsero

Finance Magnates broke the news, highlighting a strategic pivot by two veterans of the financial trading sector. Michael Logue and Andy Francos previously led marketing efforts at IG Group, but they are now applying that expertise to the booming field of Generative AI search.

Their startup, Obsero, addresses a critical pain point: visibility in the "black box" of Large Language Models (LLMs). Unlike Google, which uses explicit links to rank pages, AI search engines scrape the web to synthesize answers. If an AI tool cites your business as a source, you win. If it doesn't, you are effectively invisible.

This funding round signals strong investor confidence that "AI SEO"—optimizing for AI discovery—is a necessity for modern business survival.

Key Details: What Obsero Actually Does

While Obsero’s proprietary technical architecture is under wraps, the core value proposition is clear for business owners:

• Citation Tracking: The platform allows brands to see exactly where and how their information is pulled by AI models. This measures authority in the eyes of an AI, going beyond simple rankings.
• Brand Consistency: AI models often hallucinate or mix up data. Obsero helps businesses ensure core details—address, hours, services—are accurate and consistent across the vast data the AI ingests.
• Competitive Intelligence: Much like tracking competitors in Google Maps, Obsero will likely allow businesses to see how competitors perform in AI search results.
• Local Focus: Given the founders' backgrounds, the platform is expected to have strong utility for local businesses trying to get into "AI Overviews" that answer "Best plumber near me" queries.

What It Means For Your Business

For local and small business owners, this news serves as both a wake-up call and a roadmap. Here is what you need to do to prepare for the Obsero era:

1. Understand the Shift from "Ranking" to "Citing"

In traditional SEO, you want to be #1 on Google. In AI Search, you want to be cited. When a user asks an AI, "Who is the best accountant in Austin?", the AI synthesizes an answer. If your business is one of the sources it pulls from, you get exposure without needing a clickable ad link immediately.

2. Focus on Your "Knowledge Graph" Data

AI tools rely heavily on structured data. Ensure your Google Business Profile is fully optimized. Accurate NAP (Name, Address, Phone) data is the fuel that powers AI search. If your data is messy, AI will likely ignore you.

3. Monitor Your Digital Footprint

You can’t optimize what you don’t measure. Start paying attention to where your business appears in AI chat interfaces. Are you being mentioned? If not, you are losing traffic to competitors who are.

4. Create Authoritative Content

AI models scrape high-quality, authoritative sources. If your website is full of thin content or lacks depth, it won't make the cut. Invest in content that answers complex questions thoroughly.

Why This Matters for VisibilityAI Readers

VisibilityAI exists to help you navigate this transition. The launch of Obsero validates our mission: AI search is the new search engine.

This funding round proves that the "gap" in the market—tools that help businesses manage their AI presence—is real and investable. As AI Overviews become standard, the businesses that proactively manage their citations and digital footprint will be the ones that thrive. The era of passive SEO is over; the era of active AI management has begun.

Note: As of now, Obsero’s full feature set is rolling out. Business owners are encouraged to stay tuned for updates on how to integrate these new tools into their marketing strategies.