Nigerian engineer raises $7m to give women back their time through hair-braiding technology - Businessday NG

For women, getting braids done often comes at the cost of an entire day, and sometimes even longer.

Yinka Ogunbiyi, a Nigerian engineer and entrepreneur, believes technology can change that, and investors are betting millions of dollars that it is right.

Ogunbiyi, co-founder and CEO of HaloBraid, has raised $7 million in seed funding for the startup developing what it describes as the world’s first braid-assist robotic technology.

The funding round was led by venture capital firm Seven Seven Six, founded by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, with participation from AlleyCorp and Bling Capital. The investment will improve product development and prepare the technology for commercial launch through salon partnerships.

The startup is tackling a problem that has affected hundreds of millions of women globally which is the enormous amount of time spent braiding hair.