Patent-pending technology helps stylists finish braids 5x faster, flawlessly and without pulling.
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., June 23, 2026 — Halo (https://halobraid.com/), a technology company creating category-defining products for textured hair, announced $7M in funding to introduce the world’s first braid assist device, HaloBraid.
HaloBraid’s technology helps stylists complete braids quickly, consistently, and gently. A stylist has full creative control; they start each braid by hand, and HaloBraid finishes it 5x faster while matching their braid style.
Braiding is one of the world’s oldest and most labor-intensive beauty practices, and the manual process hasn’t changed in thousands of years. 8 billion hours are spent braiding hair each year, with single appointments often lasting from 6 or more hours. For stylists, that means carpal tunnel syndrome, early-onset arthritis, and physical strain. For clients, it means giving up weekends or vacation days to get an essential hairstyle that only lasts 6-8 weeks.
HaloBraid was built to change that. It transforms salon economics by reducing the biggest barrier to growth: time. In a survey of 2,000 braid wearers, Halo found that 95% would get their hair braided more often if the process were faster. But stylists describe working overnight to meet surging demand, and leaving the industry because of the physical toll of braiding. With HaloBraid, stylists can serve more clients and grow their business without adding strain on their hands and bodies.
“Braiding is more popular than ever but the way we braid hasn’t changed. It’s still time-consuming and painful for stylists and clients alike,” said Halo’s CEO and Founder, Yinka Ogunbiyi. “Our technology transforms braiding by speeding up the most repetitive part of the process. We designed this with stylists, using their perspective to build a product that supports them, without replacing them. We’re excited to help stylists and clients reclaim their time in and behind the chair.”
The seed round was led by Seven Seven Six (“776”), Alexis Ohanian’s venture capital firm, with participation from AlleyCorp and Bling Capital. The funding will accelerate product development, stylist testing, manufacturing-readiness, and salon partnerships as the company prepares to bring HaloBraid to market and transform the global salon services industry.
“As an investor, I look for founders that see something broken that everyone else has accepted as fixed. Braiding is a perfect example: it is a process that has not materially changed in thousands of years, despite being one of the most popular hairstyles for millions of Americans and a significant part of the $270 billion salon services industry,” said Alexis Ohanian, General Partner at 776. “Halo has introduced a novel technology to a manual and highly specialized professional service.”
Long term, Halo plans to develop a broader portfolio of technology that addresses the unmet needs of people with textured hair globally.
“Innovation in this category is long overdue,” said Ogunbiyi. “HaloBraid is our first product, but our larger vision is to create breakthrough technology that makes textured hair care faster, easier, more comfortable, and more joyful.”
About the Founder
Yinka Ogunbiyi is the founder and CEO of Halo and creator of HaloBraid. The idea came from her lifelong experience wearing braids and witnessing the time and physical labor involved in the craft. During the pandemic, she braided her own hair for the first time–it took four days. As a biomechanical engineer and repeat hardware founder, she created HaloBraid to solve a problem she understood personally and knew could benefit hundreds of millions of braid wearers and their stylists. Prior to Halo, Yinka co-founded Desora, where she co-invented six patented smart cooking devices, and brought advanced consumer hardware to market. She holds a BSc, MS, and MBA from Harvard.
About Halo
Halo is a technology company building the future of haircare for all textures through exceptional engineering and human-centered design. The company creates category-defining products built for the complexities others overlook. Its first product, HaloBraid, is a braid assist device that helps stylists to complete braids faster. The patent-pending innovation launches later this year. Backed by leading investors including Seven Seven Six, AlleyCorp, and Bling Capital, Halo is a group of technologists creating a new era of innovation in hair technology. To learn more, visit www.halobraid.com.
SOURCE Halo
