Nigerian-American Engineer Raises $7m to Build Robot That Helps Stylists Braid Hair
A Nigerian-American engineer and Harvard graduate, Yinka Ogunbiyi, has raised $7 million to develop HaloBraid, a robotic device designed to assist hairstylists with the most repetitive parts of the braiding process.
The funding round was led by Seven Seven Six, the venture capital firm founded by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. Other investors included AlleyCorp and Bling Capital.
HaloBraid is already generating strong interest in the beauty industry, with more than 7,000 professional salons reportedly on its waiting list.
The robot is designed to work alongside hairstylists rather than replace them.
It handles the repetitive weaving involved in knotless braiding, allowing stylists to focus on the parts of the process that require human skill and precision.
Under the system, the stylist first parts the client’s hair, creates the necessary sections and forms the initial knot.
HaloBraid then assists with the repetitive weaving down the length of the hair. The stylist takes over again to complete, trim and style the ends.
The company says the technology could reduce the time required for some braiding appointments by about half.
Ogunbiyi said the goal was not to remove the human element from hairstyling, but to reduce the physical strain placed on professionals.
“Technology simply assists with the repetitive movements that consume the most time and place the greatest strain on the body,” she said.
The idea for HaloBraid reportedly came during the COVID-19 pandemic after Ogunbiyi spent four exhausting days installing knotless braids on herself.
The experience made her realise how much of the process involved repetitive movements that could potentially be supported by technology.
She later partnered with David Afolabi to develop the robotic system.
Before founding HaloBraid, Ogunbiyi worked on smart kitchen appliances and Internet of Things devices.
She holds a joint Master of Science and Master of Business Administration degree from Harvard University’s engineering and business schools.
The company also believes the technology could help address the physical health challenges faced by professional braiders, many of whom spend long hours performing repetitive hand, wrist, shoulder and back movements.
By taking over some of the most repetitive tasks, HaloBraid aims to reduce the strain on stylists and potentially allow salons to serve more clients in a day.
The company also points to growing consumer demand for quicker protective styling appointments.
Its survey found that 95 per cent of Black women would wear protective hairstyles more often if salon appointments did not take up an entire day.
With millions of dollars in fresh funding and thousands of salons already showing interest, Ogunbiyi’s innovation could mark a major step in the use of robotics in the beauty industry.
