Nigerian-American engineer Yinka Ogunbiyi has raised $7 million to commercialise HaloBraid, a robot designed to assist hairstylists with braiding and reduce physical strain.
Nigerian-American Engineer behind World’s First Braid-Assist Robot
The 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, according to Vanguard. Ogunbiyi, a Harvard MS/MBA graduate, developed the idea after spending four days installing her own braids during the pandemic, later partnering with co-founder David Afolabi.
HaloBraid works as a “cobot,” handling repetitive mid-length weaving while stylists manage sectioning, sealing, and styling, cutting appointment times by about half. The startup already has over 7,000 salons on its waitlist. Beyond speed, the company says the robot could help address occupational health issues like carpal tunnel syndrome and chronic back pain common among professional braiders.
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