Nigerian-American engineer and entrepreneur Yinka Ogunbiyi has raised $7 million in seed funding for HaloBraid, an innovative device designed to make hair braiding faster and easier.
The funding round was led by Seven Seven Six, the venture capital firm founded by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, with participation from other investors.
Ogunbiyi reportedly developed the idea after experiencing firsthand the time and effort required to braid her own hair. Her experience inspired her to apply engineering and technology to a process that often requires several hours of work.
HaloBraid is designed to assist hairstylists by automating parts of the braiding process, potentially reducing the time spent on lengthy appointments and easing the physical demands of repetitive hand movements.
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The innovation also gained recognition at Harvard University’s President’s Innovation Challenge in 2025, where HaloBraid won the Alumni and Affiliates Open track.
The latest funding is expected to support the company’s product development and preparations for wider commercial adoption.
Ogunbiyi’s achievement highlights the growing role of technology in solving everyday problems and demonstrates how Nigerian talent in the diaspora is contributing to innovation with global potential.