A founder featured on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list has been charged by US federal prosecutors with multiple fraud-related offences, adding to a growing list of alumni from the ranking who later faced criminal allegations.
Charges Filed Against Kalder Founder
The US Department of Justice said Gökçe Güven, a 26-year-old Turkish national and the founder and chief executive of fintech startup Kalder, was charged last week with securities fraud, wire fraud, visa fraud, and aggravated identity theft.
Prosecutors allege the charges stem from Güven’s conduct during Kalder’s seed funding round in April 2024, as well as from actions taken to secure US immigration status.
Alleged Misrepresentations To Investors
According to the Justice Department, Güven raised $7m from more than a dozen investors by presenting a pitch deck that contained false and misleading information about Kalder’s business performance and customer base.
The government said the pitch deck claimed 26 brands were actively using Kalder and another 53 brands were participating under a “live freemium” model. Prosecutors allege that in reality many of those companies were only offered heavily discounted pilot programmes, while others had no agreement with Kalder at all, including for free services.
Revenue Claims Disputed By Prosecutors
Federal officials also dispute Kalder’s reported financial performance. The pitch deck allegedly stated that the company’s recurring revenue had grown steadily month over month since February 2023 and that by March 2024 Kalder had reached $1.2m in annual recurring revenue.
Prosecutors said those figures were false and did not reflect the company’s actual financial condition.
Separate Financial Records Alleged
The Justice Department further alleges that Güven maintained two separate sets of financial books. One set allegedly contained inflated and inaccurate figures and was shared with current or prospective investors to conceal the company’s true finances.
Visa Fraud Allegations
In addition to investor-related charges, prosecutors allege Güven used false statements about Kalder and forged documents to obtain a US visa category reserved for individuals of “extraordinary ability,” allowing her to live and work in the United States.
Company Background And Public Profile
Kalder, founded in 2022, promotes itself as a platform that helps companies create and monetise rewards programmes, using the tagline “Turn Your Rewards into a Revenue Engine.” The startup offers participating firms the ability to generate ongoing revenue through affiliate sales, according to previous reporting by Axios.
Güven was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list last year. Forbes said her clients included chocolatier Godiva and the International Air Transport Association, which represents most of the world’s airlines. Kalder has also said it received backing from several venture capital firms.
Pattern Of Legal Trouble Among Alumni
Güven joins a number of former Forbes 30 Under 30 honourees who later faced fraud charges, including Sam Bankman-Fried, Charlie Javice, Joanna Smith-Griffin, and Martin Shkreli.
Featured image credits: Pexels
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