Nigerian-American Engineer Launches Fast Hair-Braiding Robot

Yinka Ogunbiyi, a Nigerian-American biomechanical engineer and Harvard graduate, has introduced Halo, a collaborative hair-braiding robot designed to assist professional stylists by significantly reducing appointment times. Co-founded with David Afolabi, the startup HaloBraid emerged from Ogunbiyi's personal experience during the COVID-19 lockdown in London, where she spent four days braiding her own hair.

The robot automates the repetitive weaving motion, which constitutes about 80% of the physical effort in braiding, allowing stylists to focus on sectioning hair and finishing touches. Halo can braid up to five times faster than human hands, cutting overall appointment times by approximately half.

The startup has raised US$7 million in seed funding, led by Seven Seven Six, with participation from AlleyCorp and Bling Capital. Over 7,000 professional salons are on a waiting list for the device, although no retail price has been announced yet.