Mouritala Ogunbiyi

Nigerian-American Engineer Debuts World's First Braid-Assist Robot HaloBraid

Nigerian-American engineer Yinka Ogunbiyi has developed HaloBraid, the world’s first braid-assist robot designed to ease stylists’ physical strain and cut braiding time, with a seed funding round of about $7 million and more than 7,000 salons waitlisted ahead of commercial rollout. The project frames HaloBraid as a cobot that augments professional braiders rather than replacing them, backed by significant investment and recognition of American innovation with global impact.