Nigerian‑American biomechanical engineer Yinka Ogunbiyi has raised $7 million in seed funding to launch HaloBraid, a new robot designed to help hairstylists braid hair faster and with less physical strain.
HaloBraid, created by Ogunbiyi and co‑founder David Afolabi, handles the repetitive weaving part of braiding and can reduce braiding time by nearly 50%. Stylists still manage sectioning, finishing and styling, while the robot assists with the time‑consuming braid work.
The U.S. Mission in Nigeria revealed that more than 7,000 salons are already on HaloBraid’s waiting list.
The funding round was led by Seven Seven Six, founded by Reddit co‑founder Alexis Ohanian, with additional support from AlleyCorp.
Ogunbiyi, a Harvard graduate, got the idea during the COVID‑19 pandemic after spending four days installing her own knotless braids. HaloBraid is now positioned as one of the most promising beauty‑tech innovations emerging from the African diaspora.
Wow, very nice and commendable. Very soon robots will take over our labour markets.
ReplyDeleteA very good innovation.
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