By Ghazali Ibrahim
Nigerian-American entrepreneur and Harvard-trained engineer Yinka Ogunbiyi has secured $7 million in seed funding to launch what is being described as the world’s first robotic hair-braiding assistant.
It is a breakthrough aimed at transforming the beauty industry by making hair braiding faster and less physically demanding.
The startup behind the innovation, HaloBraid, announced that the funding round was led by venture capital firm Seven Seven Six, founded by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, with additional backing from AlleyCorp and Bling Capital.
Unlike fully automated machines, HaloBraid is designed to work alongside professional hairstylists rather than replace them. Stylists begin the braiding process by sectioning the hair and attaching extensions before the robot takes over the repetitive braiding task, significantly reducing the time needed to complete hairstyles.
According to the company, the technology can cut braiding time by as much as five times, allowing stylists to serve more clients while reducing the physical strain associated with long hours of manual braiding.
Ogunbiyi said the idea for the invention came during the COVID-19 pandemic after she spent four days braiding her own hair and realised there was no technology available to simplify the labour-intensive process.
The entrepreneur, who holds a joint Master of Science and MBA from Harvard University, said the robot was built to support, not replace, skilled braiders by handling only the repetitive part of the work while leaving the creative and technical aspects to professionals.
Beyond improving efficiency, HaloBraid is also expected to help address common health issues among hairstylists, including wrist injuries, hand pain and repetitive strain caused by years of continuous braiding.
The company plans to use the new funding to expand production and prepare for the commercial launch of the device later this year. Thousands of salons and professional braiders have reportedly expressed interest in acquiring the technology ahead of its planned release.
The innovation is being hailed as a major milestone in beauty technology and another example of Nigerian talent making an impact on the global technology landscape.
