Nigerian biomechanical engineer Yinka Ogunbiyi has closed a $7 million seed funding round for her beauty-tech startup, HaloBraid, which has developed the world’s first patented braid-assist mechanical technology.
The round was led by venture capital firm Seven Seven Six, founded by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. AlleyCorp and Bling Capital also participated. The capital will be used to finalise manufacturing and initiate salon partnerships ahead of a commercial launch later this year.
HaloBraid’s device compresses labour time and reduces the physical strain on hair braiders. It is not an autonomous robot. A professional stylist manually starts the braid at the root to maintain technique, style and tension. The machine then takes over to weave the remaining length.
Testing shows the tool allows stylists to complete box braids and knotless braids up to five times faster, cutting typical six-hour appointments down significantly. By automating the most repetitive hand movements, the device also lowers the risk of carpal tunnel syndrome and arthritis for beauty professionals.
Ogunbiyi conceived the idea after spending four days braiding her own hair during the COVID-19 lockdown. She holds a joint MS/MBA from Harvard Engineering School and Harvard Business School. Alongside co-founder David Afolabi, she worked through more than 450 prototypes to refine the design.
The technology previously won the $75,000 grand prize at the 2025 President’s Innovation Challenge hosted by Harvard Innovation Labs. HaloBraid enters its commercial phase with a pre-order waiting list of over 7,000 professional hair salons. The official rollout is scheduled for the second half of 2026.
