HaloBraid Secures $7M Funding to Pioneer Hair Braiding Revolution with Robotics
A groundbreaking new startup, Halo, is poised to revolutionize one of the beauty industry’s oldest and most labor-intensive practices. The technology company, which specializes in textured hair, has announced a $7 million seed funding to launch HaloBraid — the world’s first braid-assist device designed specifically for professional stylists.
The funding round was spearheaded by Seven Seven Six (776), the venture firm established by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. Other notable participants included AlleyCorp and Bling Capital.
The innovative HaloBraid device serves as a braiding assistant. Stylists initiate each braid manually and then pass the baton to HaloBraid, which completes each braid up to five times faster than traditional manual methods. All the while, it gently mimics the stylist’s braid style.
Founded by Yinka Ogunbiyi, a Harvard-trained biomechanical engineer and seasoned hardware founder, the company estimates that approximately 8 billion hours are spent on hair braiding annually. Single appointments often extend beyond six hours. For professional stylists, this time burden carries significant physical costs such as carpal tunnel syndrome, joint pain, and early-onset arthritis. HaloBraid’s patent-pending technology is designed to alleviate this strain while enhancing salon capacity.
The commercial launch is slated for later in 2026 in salons across the northeastern United States. Already, a waitlist of over 5,000 stylists and consumers has expressed interest. The startup plans to utilize the newly acquired capital for product development, manufacturing, stylist testing, and securing salon partnerships.
Source: TechCrunch – HaloBraid secures $7M from Seven Seven Six