A Nigerian-American engineer and Harvard graduate, Yinka Ogunbiyi, has invented HaloBraid—a patented robotic assistant designed to ease the physical strain on hairstylists and significantly reduce braiding time in salons.
The US Mission in Nigeria highlighted the breakthrough in a post on X on Friday, July 24, 2026, celebrating Ogunbiyi’s achievement as an example of innovation with global impact.
The tech venture has successfully secured $7 million in seed funding to prepare for its commercial rollout. The funding round was led by Seven Seven Six, the venture capital firm co-founded by Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian, alongside participation from AlleyCorp and Bling Capital.
More than 7,000 professional hair salons have already joined the waiting list to adopt the device.
How HaloBraid works
Ogunbiyi, who holds a joint M.Sc. and MBA from Harvard Engineering School and Harvard Business School, conceptualised the device during the COVID-19 pandemic after spending four days installing her own protective knotless braids.
Partnering with co-founder David Afolabi, Ogunbiyi designed HaloBraid to assist human stylists rather than replace them:
Manual Setup: The hairstylist begins by parting the client’s scalp, sectioning the hair, and creating the initial anchor knot by hand.
Automated Braiding: The HaloBraid unit attaches to execute the repetitive, time-consuming mid-shaft braiding sequence.
Manual Finishing: The stylist removes the unit to trim, style, and seal the ends according to the client’s preference.
Yinka Ogunbiyi aims to preserve culture
Beyond saving time, the technology aims to address occupational health challenges among professional braiders, who frequently experience repetitive strain injuries affecting their hands, wrists, and back.
Addressing concerns that automation might affect the cultural traditions of heritage hair care, Ogunbiyi emphasised that the technology enhances the salon experience.
“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,” Ogunbiyi stated.
Industry surveys show that nearly 95 per cent of Black women would opt for protective styling more frequently if salon visits were faster and less exhausting, positioning HaloBraid to meet significant consumer demand as it transitions to market distribution.
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