A Nigerian-American engineer and Harvard University graduate, Yinka Ogunbiyi, is making waves in the beauty technology industry with the development of HaloBraid, a groundbreaking robotic system designed to assist professional hairstylists by automating the most repetitive stage of the braiding process.
The innovation, described as the world’s first braid-assist robot, has already attracted significant investor confidence, raising $7 million in seed funding while recording more than 7,000 professional salons on its waiting list ahead of its commercial launch.
Announcing the milestone on Friday, the United States Mission in Nigeria highlighted the global impact of the innovation in a post on X.
“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,” the mission wrote.
The funding round was led by Seven Seven Six, the venture capital firm established by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, with additional backing from AlleyCorp and Bling Capital. The investment is expected to accelerate the commercial rollout of HaloBraid as demand from salons continues to grow.
Ogunbiyi, who holds a joint Master of Science and Master of Business Administration from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and Harvard Business School, previously built her career developing connected smart-home appliances and consumer electronic products before turning her attention to the beauty industry.
