The Forbes 30 Under 30 list has gained notoriety due to several honorees facing fraud charges. Past individuals include FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, Frank CEO Charlie Javice, AllHere Education founder Joanna Smith-Griffin, and Martin Shkreli. Another individual from this list has now been indicted on federal charges.
Gökçe Güven, a 26-year-old Turkish national and the founder and CEO of the fintech startup Kalder, recently faced charges for alleged securities fraud, wire fraud, visa fraud, and aggravated identity theft.
Kalder, a New York-based fintech startup, operates with the tagline “Turn Your Rewards into [a] Revenue Engine,” aiming to assist companies in developing and monetizing their rewards programs. Established in 2022, the company reportedly provides firms with opportunities to generate continuous revenue through partner affiliate sales, as Axios previously reported.
Güven was recognized on last year’s Forbes 30 Under 30 list. Her profile in the magazine mentioned clients such as major chocolatier Godiva and the International Air Transport Association. Kalder also stated it had backing from several notable VC firms.
The U.S. Department of Justice alleges that during Kalder’s seed funding round in April 2024, Güven secured $7 million from over a dozen investors by presenting a pitch deck containing false information.
Government sources indicate that Kalder’s pitch deck asserted 26 brands were “using Kalder” and 53 were in “live freemium.” However, officials contend that many of these companies were only participating in heavily discounted pilot programs, while others had no agreement with Kalder at all. The pitch deck also allegedly misrepresented Kalder’s recurring revenue, claiming steady month-over-month growth since February 2023 and reaching $1.2 million in annual recurring revenue by March 2024.
Güven is also accused by the government of maintaining two sets of financial records. One set, containing “false and inflated numbers,” was reportedly shown to investors to conceal the company’s actual financial state. Furthermore, the DOJ alleges that Güven used misrepresentations about Kalder and forged documents to secure a category of visa reserved for individuals of “extraordinary ability,” enabling her to reside and work in the U.S.
A statement from Güven regarding the charges was anticipated on Tuesday, following an inquiry made through her personal website.
