Nigerian-American engineer and Harvard graduate Yinka Ogunbiyi has developed HaloBraid, described as the world’s first braid-assist robot designed to reduce the physical strain on hairstylists while cutting the time spent on braiding appointments.
The innovation was highlighted by the U.S. Mission in Nigeria, which said the startup has already raised $7 million in seed funding and attracted more than 7,000 professional salons to its waiting list.
“Nigerian-American engineer and Harvard graduate Yinka Ogunbiyi built HaloBraid, the world’s first braid-assist robot, easing strain on stylists and saving salons time,” the mission said in a post on X.
The funding round was led by Seven Seven Six, the venture capital firm founded by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, with additional backing from AlleyCorp and Bling Capital.
The investment will support the commercial rollout of HaloBraid as the company prepares to meet growing demand from salons across the beauty industry.
Ogunbiyi holds a joint Master of Science and Master of Business Administration degree from Harvard Engineering School and Harvard Business School. Before launching the company, she worked on connected smart-home appliances and consumer electronics.
She said the idea for HaloBraid came during the COVID-19 pandemic after spending four days installing her own knotless braids. Realising how physically demanding and time-consuming the process could be, she partnered with co-founder David Afolabi to develop a robotic assistant for professional stylists.
Rather than replacing hairstylists, HaloBraid is designed to handle the repetitive mid-shaft braiding process, allowing professionals to focus on the more skilled parts of the service.
Stylists still begin each appointment by parting the hair, sectioning it and creating the initial anchor braid. The HaloBraid device then performs the repetitive braiding sequence before the stylist returns to complete the hairstyle by trimming, sealing and finishing it according to the client’s preference.
Addressing concerns that technology could diminish the cultural significance of traditional hair braiding, Ogunbiyi said the robot was created to support—not replace—professional stylists.
“I don’t think anything will get lost from the experience. If anything, it enriches it. Technology simply assists with the repetitive movements that consume the most time and place the greatest strain on the body,” she said.
The technology also aims to reduce the long-term physical stress experienced by hairstylists, including repeated strain on the hands, wrists, shoulders and back. By easing the most demanding part of the process, HaloBraid is expected to help stylists serve more clients, improve salon productivity and extend their careers.
According to the company, consumer demand is strong, with surveys showing that nearly 95 per cent of Black women would choose protective hairstyles more often if salon appointments required less time and physical effort.
With fresh funding secured and thousands of salons already waiting to adopt the technology, HaloBraid is now moving from product development to commercial launch.
