Mirian Gom 
ABUJA, Nigeria — Nigerian American engineer and Harvard graduate Yinka Ogunbiyi has raised $7 million in seed funding for HaloBraid, the world’s first patent-pending hair braiding robot, after developing technology designed to dramatically reduce the time, cost and physical strain associated with hair braiding.
The funding, announced by the US Mission in Nigeria on Friday, was led by venture capital firm Seven Seven Six, founded by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, with additional investment from AlleyCorp and Bling Capital. More than 7,000 salons have already joined the waiting list for the technology, which assists hairstylists rather than replacing them.
Explaining the inspiration behind HaloBraid, Ogunbiyi said the idea emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic after spending four days installing her own protective braids. She said the experience exposed an industry that had seen little technological innovation despite millions of people relying on braided hairstyles. “Imagine if every time you got your hair cut, it took six hours, cost $200 to $300 and gave your hairstylist arthritis at age 29. This is what it’s like to get your hair braided,” she said.
Ogunbiyi, who holds joint master’s degrees in engineering and business administration from Harvard University, partnered with co-founder David Afolabi to develop HaloBraid using machine learning. The device automates the repetitive braiding process after a stylist prepares the hair, reducing braiding time from hours to minutes while maintaining professional quality. According to the company, the technology has completed thousands of braids over the past year at five times the conventional speed.
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