Yinka Ogunbiyi Unveils The Future Of Haircare With The World’s First Braiding Robot

Yinka Ogunbiyi, a Nigerian-American engineer and Harvard graduate, created HaloBraid, a braid-assist robot that helps hairstylists cut down on braiding time while reducing the physical strain of the task.

Prior to its commercial launch, the innovation has attracted over 7,000 professional salons to its waiting list and raised $7 million in seed funding.

In a post on X on Friday, the US Mission in Nigeria made the announcement.

“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.”

AlleyCorp and Bling Capital participated in the funding round, which was headed by Seven Seven Six, a venture capital firm started by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian.

Ogunbiyi graduated from Harvard Engineering School and Harvard Business School with a joint Master of Science and Master of Business Administration. She worked on consumer electronics and connected home appliances prior to starting HaloBraid.

After spending four days creating her own knotless braids, she had the idea during the COVID-19 pandemic. Later, she collaborated on the technology’s development with co-founder David Afolabi.

Instead of taking the place of hairstylists, HaloBraid is intended to support them. Before the robot takes over the repetitive braiding step, the stylist sections and parts the client’s hair and manually makes the first anchor knot.

The ends are then trimmed, sealed, and styled by the stylist to finish the braid.

Regarding the technology, Yinka Ogunbiyi stated that it was developed to assist professionals.

“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,” she said

Congratulations to Yinka Ogunbiyi on this incredible achievement! Her innovation and dedication have truly transformed the haircare industry, and we couldn’t be prouder of her accomplishments. Wishing her continued success as she paves the way for future advancements and inspires others to follow in her footsteps.