A New York startup once pitched as a fresh take on brand loyalty is now at the center of a federal criminal case. Prosecutors in the Southern District of New York have charged fintech founder Gökçe Güven with securities fraud, wire fraud, visa fraud, and aggravated identity theft. Güven, a Turkish national, founded Kalder in 2022 and promoted it as a fintech marketing platform designed to help brands build and monetise customised rewards programs.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Güven began raising a seed round in 2024 and collected about $7 million from more than a dozen investors. Prosecutors allege that the fundraising relied on a pitch deck containing false claims about Kalder’s finances, brand relationships, and customer base.
The materials reportedly stated that 26 brands were actively “using Kalder” and that another 53 were operating on a “live freemium” basis. Investigators say several of those companies were only involved in short pilot programs, often at steep discounts, while others had no agreement with Kalder at all.
The pitch deck also claimed consistent month-over-month revenue growth beginning in February 2023, reaching $1.2 million in annual recurring revenue by March 2024. Prosecutors allege those numbers were fabricated. Güven is accused of keeping two sets of financial records: accurate internal books prepared with the help of an outside accounting firm, and a second version with inflated figures that was shared with investors.
Authorities further allege that Güven used false statements and forged documents to obtain an O-1A visa, which is reserved for individuals of “extraordinary ability,” allowing her to live and work in the United States.
“As alleged, Gökçe Güven built her seed round on fake revenue, inflated brand partnerships, and fabricated documents, and then used the same lies to secure a visa reserved for extraordinary ability,” said Jay Clayton, the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York.
The case places Güven among a growing list of high-profile fintech founders whose rapid rise unraveled publicly, alongside figures like Sam Bankman-Fried and Charlie Javice, both of whom were also once celebrated on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list.
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