They say you can’t teach hustle, but you can gamify it. And if anyone’s been doing that longer than most of the industry’s known it was possible, it’s the team over at Simcoach Games. Founded back in 2005, yeah, before iPhones were even a thing, this Pittsburgh-born crew has been quietly stacking wins by turning educational challenges into playable, data-driven moments of growth.
Now they’ve locked in $265K in fresh seed funding, with the Richard King Mellon Foundation leading the charge. That’s not just capital, it’s validation. It’s a signal that behavioral health, workforce development, and edtech can live inside the same game engine. CEO Brian Kaleida and Director of Clinical Innovation E. Justin Page, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LBS aren’t just pushing pixels, they’re pushing a mission that lives at the intersection of tech and transformation.
Simcoach started as a Carnegie Mellon University spinoff, a concept born from founder jessica trybus' unique blend of English, theater, and tech-savvy vision. While others were chasing the next level in graphics, she was leveling up minds. And after being acquired by Sigma Resources in 2020, the company didn’t fade into corporate purgatory. Instead, they doubled down, more games, more insights, more partnerships with everyone from StepOne Neurodiversity Services to the U.S. Department of Transportation. This isn’t a pivot, it’s a precision move in a high-stakes game where outcomes are human.
The numbers don’t lie. Millions of downloads. Dozens of titles. A pipeline of games built for people too often left out of the workforce conversation, especially adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. When global studies say 85% of autistic adults are unemployed, you either shake your head or build something that changes the stat. Simcoach chose the latter.
This new round? It’s going toward three new games laser-focused on job readiness. One breaks down how to dress the part. Another trains for interviews. The third’s about communication in the workplace, because knowing the skill is one thing, but practicing it? That’s a whole different game. And with their clinically validated content and data-driven progress tracking, they’re not just checking boxes, they’re rewriting how we prepare the next-gen workforce.
Catch them this May at the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) Annual Convention in DC. May 26, 10 AM, they’re on the mic talking tech and behavioral treatment. That’s not a conference, it’s a call to arms.
Let’s connect and keep the momentum going across the tech ecosystem. Whether you’re a founder shaping the future, a leader driving change, a VC backing bold ideas, or an investor spotting the next big thing—together, we’re pushing boundaries. Proud to be building the future with you.
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