Meet Nigerian Engineer Yinka Ogunbiyi behind machine that braids hair five times faster

Nigerian-born engineer Yinka Ogunbiyi is gaining attention for developing HaloBraid, an automated hair braiding device designed to help professional stylists complete hairstyles up to five times faster while reducing the physical strain associated with hours of braiding.

Ogunbiyi, a Harvard graduate and biomechanical engineer, recently demonstrated how the technology works, offering a glimpse into how automation could transform the hair and beauty industry, particularly protective hairstyles that often require several hours to complete.

Unlike a machine that replaces the stylist entirely, HaloBraid is designed to work alongside professional hairdressers. The stylist first sections the hair, applies the necessary products and starts the braid by hand before feeding it into the device. The machine then handles the repetitive weaving along the length of the hair, allowing the stylist to finish and seal the ends.

The innovation aims to reduce the time spent on braiding while easing the physical demands placed on stylists who spend long hours working with clients. It also seeks to improve the salon experience without removing the human skill involved in creating the final hairstyle.

Ogunbiyi said the inspiration for the invention came from her personal experience of getting her hair braided from childhood and the challenges she repeatedly observed among both stylists and clients.

“My braid story starts at age four, sitting between my mum’s legs as she braided my hair for the first time. Since then, I’ve spent thousands of hours getting my hair braided — and heard the same story from stylists and clients again and again: braiding is beautiful, but it takes too much time and too much strain,” she said.

Drawing on her background in biomechanical engineering, Ogunbiyi said she recognised the need for a better approach and developed HaloBraid in collaboration with hairstylists, designers and other professionals.

She added that the device was built with people close to her in mind, including her mother, hairstylists and aunties, as well as others around the world who understand the experience of spending hours in a salon chair.

The venture has also attracted significant investor interest, securing $7 million in seed funding in a round led by Seven Seven Six, the venture capital firm founded by Reddit co founder Alexis Ohanian, who is married to tennis champion Serena Williams.

The development adds to Ogunbiyi’s growing recognition in innovation and entrepreneurship. Her HaloBraid project previously won a $75,000 Harvard Innovation Prize, highlighting the potential of the technology to address a familiar challenge in the beauty industry.

With its latest demonstration, HaloBraid is positioning itself as a technology that combines traditional hairstyling expertise with automation, potentially giving stylists more time to serve clients while reducing the repetitive work involved in braiding.