Meet Yinka Ogunbiyi, the Nigerian-American behind the world’s first braid-assist robot
For professional hairstylists, creating intricate braids can mean spending several hours at a time making the same repetitive motions — a labour-intensive craft that often takes a toll on the neck, shoulders, wrists and back over the course of their careers. Now, Nigerian-American biomechanical engineer Yinka Ogunbiyi is looking to change that with technology.
Ogunbiyi has secured $7 million in seed funding to commercialise HaloBraid, her patented braid-assist robot designed to help professional hairstylists significantly cut braiding time while reducing the physical strain that comes with hours of intricate styling. By bringing engineering and automation to one of the beauty industry's most time-consuming services, her work aims to modernise braiding without replacing the skill, creativity and artistry of the stylist.
The seed funding round was led by Seven Seven Six, the venture capital firm founded by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, with participation from AlleyCorp and Bling Capital. The investment will help the startup scale manufacturing, expand its team and gear up for the full commercial rollout of HaloBraid.
Even before hitting the market, the product is already seeing strong demand, with more than 7,000 professional salons on its waiting list — a clear indication of the industry's appetite for tools that make hairstyling less physically demanding and more efficient.
Ogunbiyi holds a joint MS/MBA from Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and Harvard Business School. Before founding her venture, she worked as an engineer developing smart kitchen appliances and Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Drawing from her background in biomechanics and product development, she shifted her focus to the haircare industry to solve a long-overlooked challenge faced by the professionals behind the craft.
The idea for HaloBraid was born during the COVID-19 pandemic after Ogunbiyi spent four days installing her own knotless braids at home. She later partnered with co-founder David Afolabi to develop a robotic solution for professional braiders.
Rather than replacing hairstylists, HaloBraid is designed to work alongside them as a collaborative robot, or “cobot.” The machine performs the repetitive mid-length braiding movements that account for most of the time spent during knotless braid appointments, while stylists remain responsible for the creative and technical aspects of the service.
Under the process, the stylist first parts and sections the client’s hair before creating the foundation of the braid. HaloBraid then takes over the repetitive weaving motion, reducing appointment times by about half. The stylist completes the service by sealing, trimming and styling the finished braids.
Speaking about the technology, Ogunbiyi said it is intended to support, rather than replace, professional braiders.
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“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.”
Beyond reducing appointment times, HaloBraid also aims to address occupational health challenges faced by professional braiders, many of whom experience conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome, arthritis and chronic back pain after years of repetitive work.
By automating the most physically demanding part of the braiding process, the company hopes to help hairstylists extend their careers while increasing the number of clients they can serve each day.
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The company also cited consumer demand for faster appointments, noting that 95% of Black women surveyed said they would wear protective hairstyles more often if salon visits took less time. The latest funding is expected to support HaloBraid’s commercial expansion as it prepares to introduce the technology to salons worldwide.
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.jpg "Meet Yinka Ogunbiyi, the Nigerian-American behind the world’s first braid-assist robot")
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