SEC v. Kalder Inc. and Gökçe Güven — U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Litigation Release No. 26667, dated October 7, 2026.
Named in the SEC’s action
- Kalder Inc. and Gökçe Güven
The SEC charged Kalder Inc. and its CEO, Gökçe Güven, with defrauding investors in a $6.7 million securities offering. They allegedly inflated revenue and customer numbers by maintaining two sets of financial books, misleading investors about the company's true financial performance and growth.
In Plain English
Imagine a company wanted to borrow money from friends. The boss told friends the company was making lots of money and had tons of customers, showing them fake numbers. In reality, the company wasn't doing as well and had fewer customers than claimed. The boss is now in trouble for lying to get the money.
Disclaimer: all facts are drawn from the SEC's own filings; the claims described are allegations unless and until a court rules or the parties settle, and some cases end in dismissal.
How the Alleged Scheme Worked
- Fundraising Begins In April 2024, Kalder Inc., a fintech startup led by CEO Gökçe Güven, began a capital raise called the 'Round B Seed Offering' to fund its growth. The goal was to raise money from investors.
- Inflated Financials To make the company look more attractive, Güven directed the creation of a second set of financial records. This set showed inflated revenue streams and overstated the number of customers engaged in revenue-generating contracts.
- Dual Bookkeeping Kalder maintained two sets of financial books. One was accurate, prepared by an outside bookkeeper using data from financial institutions. The second, inflated set was created and used to communicate with potential investors.
- Misleading Revenue Claims The company's actual financial records showed monthly revenue far below the figures presented to investors. Güven and Kalder falsely claimed consistent and substantial growth that was not occurring.
- Exaggerated Customer Numbers Defendants also lied about the number of customers. Many claimed to be in revenue-generating contracts had actually signed up for free 'demo accounts' or short-term, discounted pilot programs.
- Investor Deception These false and misleading statements about Kalder's financial performance were made in connection with the offering, which ultimately raised nearly $6,705,000 from approximately fifteen investors between April and December 2024.
The Enforcement Action
On October 2, 2026, the SEC filed a partially-settled action against Kalder Inc. and its founder and CEO, Gökçe Güven, for allegedly raising nearly $6,705,000 from investors through false and misleading statements concerning Kalder’s financial performance. Güven agreed to a bifurcated settlement, subject to Court approval, which includes a permanent injunction, a six-year officer and director bar, and disgorgement with prejudgment interest and civil penalties to be determined by the Court. Güven previously pleaded guilty to securities fraud in a parallel criminal action.