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HaloBraid: From Frustration to Creation and Validation

Halo co-founder Yinka Ogunbiyi first conceived HaloBraid in 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdown while trying to braid her own hair. The process took four days, and by day two, she started reflecting on braiding’s history and why the technique had barely changed in thousands of years.

She estimates that braided hairstyles are among the most popular hair choices for roughly 20 million Americans. “It really reminds me of sewing by hand, and the sewing machine was invented a hundred years ago, so I was just like, where are the machines to make this process faster and more efficient?” she says.

Ogunbiyi holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in engineering from Harvard University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. She and fellow Harvard alum David Afolabi, Halo’s other co-founder, tested more than 500 prototypes before locking in HaloBraid’s design. Hairstylists gave weekly feedback that shaped the tool’s functionality and ergonomics. The biggest pivot came when the team moved the device from handheld to stand-mounted to make it easier for braiders to use.

In May 2025, Ogunbiyi and Afolabi won $75,000 from the Harvard President’s Innovation Challenge. A video of Ogunbiyi’s pitch went viral after the competition, hitting 4.9 million views on Instagram and TikTok and 4 billion impressions. The moment put HaloBraid in the spotlight and drove the waitlist past 5,000 stylists and consumers eager to try it.

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How The Product Works and Solves the Hairbraiding Problem

The attention also drew criticism. Some commenters questioned whether the technology would replace stylists. Ogunbiyi pushes back on that idea, arguing that the robotic hair-braiding assistant helps both stylists and clients. She stresses that the tool helps stylists rather than replaces them. In its current form, stylists start each braid, and the tool finishes it. HaloBraid will roll out first to salons and professional stylists only.

Ogunbiyi points to the physical toll of braiding. Braiders often develop arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and other repetitive stress injuries from hours of handwork. HaloBraid aims to cut that strain while speeding up the process. She says, “They can see more people and ideally make more money if they want to or just have more time because the appointments will be much shorter.”

Shorter appointments also help clients. People no longer have to block out half a day for braids, so the service fits more easily into busy schedules. “Ultimately, most people don’t have six hours in their day to sit in a chair,” says Ogunbiyi. “People are taking PTO or having stylists come to their home to get their hair braided. They’re looking at this and saying, ‘OK, what if you could get braided basically in your lunch break?’ There’s this huge untapped demand.”

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Investor’s Endorsement for HaloBraid and Next Steps

Alexis Ohanian immediately saw the potential in backing HaloBraid after sitting through marathon braiding sessions with his wife, Serena Williams, and daughter, Alexis, that can last 10 hours. HaloBraid claims it can shrink a six-hour braid down to minutes.

“Halo had a clear vision for how to build this technology, and there was clearly a massive gap in the market, so it was a combination of founder, product, market fit,” he says. “Especially at a time when it was obvious that robotics was also going to keep getting much better, much faster thanks to AI. It’s shocking someone hasn’t built this business yet, but Halo will.”

Halo will start by placing HaloBraid with hairstylists and salons across the Northeast. Ogunbiyi, who is based in Boston, says the city will act as the company’s test market. The team also plans pop-ups in cities nationwide. Long-term, Halo envisions HaloBraid in J.C. Penney salons nationwide. The retailer already offers braiding services in its salons. The startup recently hired Robert Tweedie, a former Dyson design manager who helped develop the Airwrap, to join its engineering efforts.

The company has not set pricing yet, but Ogunbiyi says stylists will not pay for the device upfront. Halo will earn revenue only when stylists earn. “We wanted to make sure it’s as accessible as possible,” she says. Halo is not the only company pushing automation into beauty. Robotic manicure startup 10Beauty and lash extension company Luum Precision Lash have both pulled in major venture funding. 10Beauty raised $23.5 million in May, bringing its total to $70 million. 

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Despite the capital flowing in, automation remains rare in beauty services. After braiding, Halo plans to expand. The company wants to become the Dyson for textured hair. Ogunbiyi says, “There are other processes, styling experiences that we want to make faster and more joyful.”

Main Image: HaloBraid Co-founder, Yinka Ogunbiyi. Image Credit: HaloBraid

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