Fintech CEO and Forbes 30 Under 30 alum has been indicted for alleged fraud | TechCrunch

The Forbes 30 Under 30 list has become more than a little infamous for the number of newcomers who are subsequently accused of fraud. Notable alumni include FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, Frank CEO Charlie Javice, Joanna Smith-Griffin, founder of AI startup AllHere Education, and “pharma bro” Martin Shkreli. Now another member of the list has been hit with federal charges.

Gökçe Güven, a 26-year-old Turkish citizen and founder and CEO of a fintech startup Vocationwas charged last week with alleged securities fraud, bank fraud, visa fraud and serious identity theft.

The New York-based fintech startup – which uses the ‘Turn Your Rewards into [a] Revenue Engine” tagline – says it can help companies create and monetize individual rewards programs. Founded in 2022, the company offers participating companies the opportunity to earn ongoing revenue streams through partner sales, Axios previously reported.

Güven was on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list last year. The magazine notes in writing that Güven’s customers included major chocolatier Godiva and the International Air Transport Association, the trade body that represents a majority of the world’s airlines. Kalder also claims to have enjoyed support from a number of leading VC firms.

The US Department of Justice claims this during Kalder’s seed round in April 2024, Güven managed to raise $7 million from more than a dozen investors after presenting a pitch deck filled with false information.

According to the government, Kalder’s pitch deck claimed there were 26 brands using Kalder and another 53 brands in live freemium. However, officials say that in many cases Kalder has only offered pilot programs with deep discounts to many of these companies. Other brands “did not have any agreement with Kalder – not even for free services,” officials said in a news release announcing the charges. The pitch deck also “incorrectly reported that Kalder’s recurring revenue had grown steadily month over month since February 2023 and that Kalder had reached $1.2 million in annual recurring revenue by March 2024.”

The government also accuses Güven of keeping two separate financial books. One of those sets contained “false and inflated figures” and was presented to investors or potential investors to conceal the “true financial condition of the company,” the government alleges. The DOJ also alleges that Güven used lies about Kalder and forged documents to obtain a category of visas reserved for those with “extraordinary ability,” which would allow her to live and work in the United States.

TechCrunch contacted Güven through her personal website. The CEO said she would issue a statement on the allegations on Tuesday.