HaloBraid Demo Shows How Yinka Ogunbiyi’s Automated Braiding Device Works With Stylists

A new demonstration of HaloBraid, the automated braiding device created by Nigerian-American engineer and Harvard graduate Yinka Ogunbiyi, offers a closer look at how the technology could change the braiding process. The device is designed to help professional hairdressers complete braids up to five times faster while reducing the physical strain that comes with hours of styling.

What stands out in the demo is that HaloBraid does not replace the stylist. Instead, the machine works alongside the professional, who remains central to the final result.

How HaloBraid Works With a Stylist

The process begins with the stylist, not the machine. According to the demonstration, the stylist sections the hair, applies the necessary products and starts the braid by hand before feeding it into the device. HaloBraid then takes over the repetitive weaving along the length of the hair. Once that stage is complete, the stylist returns to finish and seal the ends.

This division of labor means the machine handles a time-consuming portion of the braiding process, while the stylist remains responsible for creating the final hairstyle. The approach combines hand-braiding techniques with automated weaving.

The Personal Story Behind HaloBraid

Ogunbiyi has traced the idea for HaloBraid to her own experience with braiding. In her words:

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. As a biomechanical engineer, I knew there had to be a better way, so we built HaloBraid with stylists from the beginning, bringing together inventors, designers, and builders behind some of the world’s most loved hair and beauty products. HaloBraid was built for my mum, my stylists, my aunties, and people around the world who know what it means to spend hours in the chair.

Funding and Development

The company behind HaloBraid has secured $7 million in seed funding. The investment round was led by Seven Seven Six, the venture capital firm founded by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, who is married to tennis champion Serena Williams.

Ogunbiyi, a biomechanical engineer, developed HaloBraid with stylists involved from the beginning. The project brought together inventors, designers and builders behind some of the world’s most loved hair and beauty products.

What the Demo Shows

The newly shared demonstration illustrates how HaloBraid’s technology is intended to work alongside professional stylists. By combining hand-braiding techniques with automated weaving, the device aims to reduce both the time and physical effort involved in protective hairstyling.