Halo Sim Labs

Halo Sim Labs is a South African ed-tech startup building a simulation-based emotional intelligence and preventative mental health education platform for schools. Learners are placed inside interactive, culturally relevant scenarios such as peer pressure, bullying and substance use, make their own decisions and experience the consequences, practising skills like empathy, emotional regulation and decision-making. The platform is being developed for Grades 3 to 12. Founded in January 2026 by Thembelihle Zwane, who comes from a healthcare and psychology background, the company was bootstrapped and pre-revenue as of October 2026 and was moving from product development into structured school pilots in rural South African schools. It plans a B2B model in which schools and education partners license access (expected at ZAR15,000-25,000 per school per year), combined with institutional partnerships and subsidised access for under-resourced schools. The startup is focused on South Africa, with ambitions to expand across Africa.