Author: Lucas Ropek
Compiled by DeepTide TechFLow
Deep Tides Guide:Forbes 30 Under 30 list adds another "black history." Gökçe Güven, a 26-year-old Turkish founder and CEO of fintech startup Kalder, has been charged by the U.S. Department of Justice with alleged securities fraud, wire fraud, visa fraud, and aggravated identity theft. Prosecutors claim that in her $7 million seed round funding in April 2024, she provided investors with a business plan full of false information—claiming that 26 brands were using Kalder, when in fact many companies had not signed any agreements with Kalder at all.
This is not the first time the list has "crashed," with figures like SBF and Charlie Javice having appeared on it before.
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Today, the Forbes 30 Under 30 list has become notorious for the large number of its inductees who are later accused of fraud. Notable "alumni" include FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, Frank CEO Charlie Javice, AllHere Education founder Joanna Smith-Griffin, and "pharma villain" Martin Shkreli, among others. Now, another member of the list has been sued by the federal government.
Gökçe Güven, a 26-year-old Turkish entrepreneur and founder and CEO of fintech startup Kalder, was charged last week with alleged securities fraud, telecommunications fraud, visa fraud, and serious identity theft.
This New York-based fintech startup, which uses the slogan "Turn your rewards into a revenue engine," claims to help companies create and monetize personalized reward programs. Founded in 2022, the company offers participating businesses the opportunity to earn a recurring revenue stream through affiliate sales, Axios previously reported.
Güven was selected for last year's Forbes 30 Under 30 list. The magazine noted in its introduction that Güven's clients include major chocolate manufacturer Godiva and the International Air Transport Association (IATA)—a trade organization representing the majority of global airlines. Kalder also claimed to have received support from multiple well-known venture capital firms.
The U.S. Department of Justice alleges that during Kalder's seed round financing in April 2024, Güven successfully raised 7 million dollars from more than ten investors by presenting a business plan full of false information.
According to the government, Kalder's business proposal claimed that 26 brands "are using Kalder," and another 53 brands were in a "freemium model." However, officials said that in many cases, Kalder had actually only provided these companies with heavily discounted pilot projects. Other brands "had no agreements with Kalder at all—not even free services," officials said in a press release announcing the lawsuit. The business proposal also "falsely reported that Kalder's recurring revenue had been steadily increasing monthly since February 2023, reaching $1.2 million in annual recurring revenue by March 2024."
The government also accuses Güven of maintaining two separate sets of financial books. One set contains "false and inflated figures," presented to investors or potential investors to conceal the "true financial condition of the company," the government claims. The Department of Justice also accuses Güven of using lies about Kalder and forged documents to obtain a visa category reserved for individuals with "extraordinary abilities," allowing her to live and work in the United States.
TechCrunch contacted her through Güven's personal website. The CEO said she will issue a statement about these allegations on Tuesday.