Netherlands, April 9 -- Dutch SMEs are keen to grow, but many struggle to move beyond the initial phase. Research by ABN AMRO shows that nearly half of medium-sized companies (45%) and more than a third of small businesses (34%) actively pursue growth. Yet 90 to 96 percent of all start-ups never make it past the first growth phase. In this early stage, the entrepreneur is closely involved in almost every aspect of the business. Time is scarce, oversight is limited and access to suitable financing often falls short. This makes many businesses vulnerable, increasing the risk of growth stalling or the company even stopping altogether. At the same time, new technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) now offer opportunities to grow in ter...