Nigerian-American biomechanical engineer Yinka Ogunbiyi has secured $7 million in seed funding to commercialise HaloBraid, a robotic braiding assistant designed to help professional hairstylists reduce appointment times and minimise the physical strain associated with braiding.
The funding round was led by Seven Seven Six, the venture capital firm founded by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, with additional investments from AlleyCorp and Bling Capital.
Ogunbiyi, who holds a joint Master of Science and Master of Business Administration from Harvard Engineering School and Harvard Business School, previously worked on smart kitchen appliances and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies before venturing into the beauty technology industry.
The inspiration for HaloBraid came during the COVID-19 pandemic after Ogunbiyi spent four days installing knotless braids on herself. The experience highlighted the time-consuming and physically demanding nature of the process, prompting her to partner with co-founder David Afolabi to develop a robotic assistant for professional hairstylists.
Unlike fully automated machines, HaloBraid is designed to complement the work of stylists rather than replace them. The collaborative robot, commonly known as a “cobot,” performs the repetitive mid-length braiding process, which accounts for the majority of the time required for knotless braid appointments.
Hairstylists remain responsible for sectioning the hair, creating the braid foundation and completing the final styling, ensuring that creativity and craftsmanship remain in human hands.
According to the company, the technology can reduce braiding appointment times by nearly 50 percent, allowing stylists to serve more clients while reducing the repetitive physical stress that often contributes to conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome, arthritis and chronic back pain. The innovation is expected to improve productivity within the beauty industry while providing a practical solution to one of the profession’s most physically demanding tasks.
