For millions of people, getting hair braided is a labour of love that requires patience, a high tolerance for discomfort, and deep pockets. But thanks to Nigerian-American engineer and Harvard graduate Yinka Ogunbiyi, the exhausting six-hour salon trips may soon become a thing of the past.
Ogunbiyi, alongside co-founder David Afolabi, has developed HaloBraid—the world’s first patent-pending, braid-assist robot designed to significantly reduce the time, cost, and physical strain associated with traditional hair braiding.
The innovation has already sent ripples through the beauty and tech industries, raising $7 million in seed funding and securing a waitlist of more than 7,000 salons eager to adopt the technology.
Born Out of Necessity During the Pandemic
The inspiration for HaloBraid struck during the COVID-19 lockdown when Ogunbiyi spent four grueling days installing her own knotless braids at home. Recognizing the immense physical toll the process takes on both stylists and clients, she decided to apply her engineering background to the problem.
“Imagine if every time you got your hair cut, it took six hours, cost $200 to $300, and gave your hair stylist arthritis at age 29? This is what it’s like to get your hair braided,” Ogunbiyi explained while pitching the device at Harvard’s President’s Innovation Challenge.
She noted that despite braiding being a staple protective style for 20 million Americans who sit through the process every eight weeks, the craft hasn’t seen significant mechanical innovation since its invention thousands of years ago.
An Assistant, Not a Replacement
While the word “robot” often sparks fears of automated job replacement, Ogunbiyi stresses that HaloBraid is a “cobot”—a collaborative robot engineered to assist stylists, not replace them.
The machine takes over the most repetitive and physically exhausting part of the process. The human stylist remains in complete control of the creative aspects: parting the scalp, sectioning the hair, and creating the initial anchor knot. Once the foundation is set, HaloBraid seamlessly takes over the repetitive mid-length weaving motion, reducing overall appointment times by up to half. The stylist then returns to seal, trim, and finish the look.
By cutting the time spent per client, hairstylists can double their daily bookings and significantly reduce the chronic hand, wrist, and back pain that cuts many braiding careers short.
Global Recognition and Heavyweight Backing
The US Mission in Nigeria recently took to X (formerly Twitter) to celebrate the breakthrough, praising Ogunbiyi’s work as a prime example of “American innovation, global impact.”
Ogunbiyi, who holds a joint Master of Science and Master of Business Administration (MS/MBA) from Harvard University, previously designed smart home appliances and IoT devices before shifting her focus to the $42 billion hair industry.
Her transition is already paying off. HaloBraid’s recent $7 million seed round was led by Seven Seven Six, the venture capital firm founded by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, with additional backing from AlleyCorp and Bling Capital. The fresh capital will be used to scale manufacturing and facilitate the market rollout to the thousands of salons patiently waiting to bring this technology to their clients.
As HaloBraid gears up for its highly anticipated commercial debut, Ogunbiyi is proving that when cutting-edge technology meets cultural staples, everyone wins, from the stylist’s hands to the client’s time.
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