Nigerian-American Harvard trained engineer, Yinka Ogunbiyi has built HaloBraid, the world’s first braid-assist robot aiming to cut hours-long salon sessions down to minutes while reducing physical strain on professional stylists.
According to her company, the device assists stylists by “finishing” braids that are started by hand, using machine learning to match professional quality at up to five times faster speed.
Ogunbiyi, co-founder and CEO of HaloBraid, developed the patent-pending machine alongside fellow Nigerian and Harvard graduate, David Afolabi.
The start-up has raised $7 million in seed funding led by Alexis Ohanian’s venture firm Seven Six, with participation from AlleyCorp and Bling Capital.
The funding is expected to support product development and a commercial launch planned for late 2026 through salon partnerships.
The United States Mission in Nigeria paid tribute to Ogunbiyi’s innovative product in an X post on Friday.
The post reads, “Nigerian-American engineer & Harvard grad Yinka Ogunbiyi built HaloBraid, the world’s first braid-assist robot, easing strain on stylists & saving salons time.
“$7M raised, 7,000+ salons waitlisted. American innovation, global impact. #AmericanExcellence in action.”
Ogunbiyi, who graduated in 2023 from Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and Harvard Business School with bachelor’s, master’s, and MBA degrees, said the idea was born during the COVID-19 lockdown.
She recounted how her inability to visit a salon, led her to try braiding her own hair for the first time, which took a better part of four days.
“Braiding hasn’t seen innovation since braiding was invented 5,000 years ago,” Ogunbiyi said.
“What if every time you got your hair cut, it took six hours, cost $200 to $300, and gave your hair stylist arthritis at age 2? This is what it’s like to get your hair braided”.
Unlike a fully automated machine, HaloBraid is designed to work with professional stylists, not replace them.
Stylists start each braid manually to preserve technique and artistry, then the robot completes the repetitive length of the braid with what the company describes as a “gentle, no-pull approach”.
The goal, the founders say, is to cut 6-hour sessions to roughly 30 minutes, protect stylists’ hands from repetitive strain injuries, and help salons serve more clients.
Over 18 months, Ogunbiyi and Afolabi built more than 450 prototypes, testing on thousands of braids including with Ogunbiyi’s own hair.
The startup first gained attention after winning Harvard’s 2025 President’s Innovation Challenge $75,000 prize in the Alumni & Affiliates Open Track.
Ogunbiyi, a biomechanical engineer from a family of Nigerian engineers, said the mission is “breakthrough technology that makes textured haircare faster, easier, more comfortable, and more joyful”.
The company is currently building a waitlist for professional stylists interested in trying out the machine when it becomes commercially available.
(The Sun)