Dr Sangu Delle urges mutual due diligence between investors and entrepreneurs for stronger business partnerships

Dr Sangu Delle, Chairman of Golden Palm Investments, has urged entrepreneurs and investors to conduct thorough “due diligence” on each other to ensure partnerships achieve their intended goals and objectives.

Speaking at the Agricultural Innovation for Africa Conference in Accra, Dr Delle said successful investments must be grounded in “trust, alignment, and communication.”

“In venture capital, trust starts with due diligence,not just investors doing due diligence on founders, but founders doing due diligence on investors too,” he said. “There are some terrible investors out there, those who will ghost you when times are tough, want control without commitment, or promise smart capital but deliver stress. So, do your background checks.”

The two-day conference, organised by the Kosmos Innovation Centre (KIC) in partnership with the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and Kosmos Energy, was themed “African Youth Leveraging Innovation for Sustainable Food Systems.” It brought together policymakers, investors, agripreneurs, and researchers to explore solutions for improving Africa’s food systems and empowering youth in agribusiness.

Speaking on the topic “The Meeting Point: Investors and Entrepreneurs,” Dr Delle stressed the need for transparency and shared values in business relationships. He cautioned entrepreneurs against rushing into deals out of excitement, noting that “just because a pitch looks good doesn’t mean the partnership will work,” and “just because the investor is from New York doesn’t mean all their promises will come true.”

“Don’t just raise capital; raise compatibility,” he said, adding that trust should be based on informed confidence and constant communication. “When communication is alive, even failure becomes survival.”

Dr Delle called for sustainable and long-term partnerships, highlighting that trust and alignment between entrepreneurs and investors are critical to business growth. “Entrepreneurs should ask: Can I trust this investor when things go wrong? Can I communicate honestly without fear? Investors must also ask: Do I believe in this partner, and do our visions of success rhyme? Capital is easy to find, but character is rare,” he stated.

Mr Benjamin Gyan-Kesse, Executive Director of KIC, said the conference sought to deepen young people’s understanding of agribusiness and encourage them to explore opportunities across the agricultural value chain.

“It is important to continuously expose the youth to opportunities in agribusiness; it is business to feed Africans, and business to feed the rest of the world,” he said.

The conference featured exhibitions, a masterclass on food innovation techniques, and pitching sessions where entrepreneurs presented their business ideas to prospective investors.