HaloBraid Raises $7M to Cut Hours Off Hair Appointments

The time-intensive process of getting box or knotless braids, which can keep clients in salon chairs for up to 12 hours, is set for a technological shift. HaloBraid, a robotics startup founded by Yinka Ogunbiyi, announced on Tuesday that it has closed a $7 million seed funding round led by Seven Seven Six, the venture firm founded by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian.

Ogunbiyi, who holds an MS in engineering from Harvard and an MBA, pivoted to the beauty sector after experiencing the challenges of manual braiding firsthand during the COVID-19 pandemic. Attempting to style her own hair while isolated in London, she spent four days on the task, identifying the inefficiency as a technical problem ripe for innovation.

How the Technology Works

While the device remains under patent protection, Ogunbiyi shared that the machine is designed to serve as an assistant to professional stylists. The stylist initiates the braiding pattern, and the HaloBraid device completes the remainder of the braid in seconds. The technology is engineered to be gentle on hair and is compatible with both box and knotless styles.

The startup faces a complex engineering challenge. According to Ogunbiyi, hair is among the most difficult substrates to manipulate. To develop the device, her team of 15 employees had to draw on methodologies from industries ranging from material science to inkjet printing.

Market Impact and Investor Interest

The demand for such technology is supported by significant market data:

• An estimated 8 billion hours are spent on hair braiding globally each year.
• In a survey of 2,000 people, 95% indicated they would opt for braided styles more frequently if the process were faster.
• Stylists face chronic health risks, including carpal tunnel syndrome and arthritis, due to the repetitive manual nature of the job.

For Alexis Ohanian, the investment aligns with his interest in “buildable” hardware and underserved markets. “Dyson has helped transform tooling for hair styles, yet tech for textured hair remains largely unexplored despite a loyal audience that’s eager to spend,” Ohanian noted. He highlighted that his familiarity with the long duration of braiding sessions—often observed through his wife, Serena Williams, and their children—underscores the clear market need.

The seed round also included participation from AlleyCorp and Bling Capital. HaloBraid plans to allocate the new capital toward manufacturing, product development, and establishing partnerships with salons ahead of its launch later this year. Looking beyond the initial device, the company is already exploring future innovations, such as technology designed to automate the hair-unbraiding process.