Kalyani Ramadurgam, an Indian-origin technologist based in the United States, has been named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 United States list for 2026 in the finance category for her work at the intersection of artificial intelligence, fintech and compliance. Her journey spans from corporate tech to entrepreneurship, showcasing how real-world experience can lead to impactful innovation.

Before founding her own company, Kalyani worked at Apple in a sensitive role focused on safeguarding Apple Pay from misuse, including preventing its exploitation by terrorist networks — a responsibility that exposed her to the limitations of traditional compliance systems still reliant on slow, manual document reviews despite modern technology. This first-hand insight into outdated processes inspired her entrepreneurial vision.

In 2023, she co-founded Kobalt Labs with former software engineer Ashi Agrawal to modernise how financial institutions manage risk and regulatory compliance. Using AI and machine learning, Kobalt’s tools automate the review of policies, contracts and regulatory documents, drastically cutting down turnaround times that once took teams weeks or months. The goal is not to replace human expertise but to reduce repetitive manual work and help companies navigate complex compliance landscapes more effectively.

Recognition on the Forbes list highlights her success in turning corporate insights into practical solutions that address real industry challenges. It also reflects growing trends where tech-driven startups reshape critical financial infrastructure in the rapidly evolving global fintech ecosystem.