Nigerian-American engineer Yinka Ogunbiyi released a video on October 28, showing HaloBraid, a device that helps stylists braid hair faster. The demonstration drew praise from supporters; however, a select group have objected to it.
HaloBraid works after a stylist parts the hair and starts each braid by hand. Then the device weaves the repetitive part of the braid, and the stylist returns to finish the ends. The company says it completes individual braids up to five times faster than hand braiding. It says this could cut appointment times in half, though the savings depend on the style and the number of braids.
Watch demonstration video: https://youtube.com/shorts/yesvVn33YlI?feature=share
Yinka Ogunbiyi built the device with co-founder David Afolabi. The company raised $7 million in seed funding led by Seven Seven Six, the firm founded by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. AlleyCorp and Bling Capital also invested. More than 7,000 salons have joined a waitlist. The waitlist does not confirm purchases. HaloBraid will reach salons through a phased rollout that starts with its Founding Stylist Program.
The company won the Harvard President’s Innovation Challenge in 2025 and received a $75,000 grand prize. According to Allure, the team built more than 600 prototypes based on stylists’ feedback.
How the idea began
Yinka Ogunbiyi started the project after she braided her own knotless braids during the COVID-19 pandemic. The process reportedly took four days. She asked why no device existed for the repetitive part of the work.
She announced the funding round with a statement about the product’s purpose. “We built it to assist, not to replace,” she wrote. She also said her goal is “to give people this time back.
Critics gave several reasons. Writer Miebaka “MJ” Joshua called the device a “technology of unimportance.” He said braiders hold Black communities together and that the product ignores that role. Another X user, Quebec, said a strong spiritual and emotional connection forms between a client and a braider.
Others raised job concerns. One comment stated that only a wealthy salon owner could buy several machines, hire fewer workers and undercut smaller shops. Some users doubted the quality of the braids. One said the braids in the video “look bumpy.” Others asked how the device handles long hair, grown-out braids and the root of the braid, which the stylist still starts by hand. A user named AntiSocialite asked whether the device would lower prices or deposit fees. Several users joked that their hair could get caught in the machine, and some said they would not put it in.
However, many supporters responded to the criticisms and defended the innovation, noting that the device protects stylists’ health, especially those with disabilities. One supporter said her hairstylist stopped taking braiding appointments because she had arthritis. The stylist was about 40, and had been braiding since she was 12. Another fan wrote, “I love that the robot helps the braider without taking her job.”
Another optimist, Teju, compared HaloBraid to an electric sewing machine, which helps a tailor. It doesn’t remove the tailor’s cultural identity, he said. Teju added that braiding already splits work between a skilled stylist and an apprentice. Nana Yaw called the demonstration a first version and said, “Give her a chance to improve.”
HaloBraid has not yet demonstrated its performance across hair textures and braiding styles in daily salon use. The company has also not announced a price or a general release date.
Those criticising the braid quality based their judgement on the demonstration video rather than on independent tests.
