HaloBraid Won 2025 Harvard Innovation Challenge
The automated hair braiding device earned a $75,000 top prize at the university competition.
Updated on Oct. 8, 2026 in Beauty
Live Poll
Do you believe automated tools for personal care services improve the quality of your experience?
In 2025, HaloBraid secured the $75,000 grand prize at the Harvard President's Innovation Challenge. The automated device aims to transform the beauty industry by significantly reducing the time required for hair braiding.
Why it matters
Created to alleviate the physical strain on stylists, the device allows salons to increase their daily client capacity. It originated from co-founder Yinka Ogunbiyi's personal experience spending four days installing her own braids during the COVID-19 lockdown.
The company has secured over $7 million in total funding and maintains a waiting list of more than 7,000 salons. The technology reduces the time needed for hand-started braids from hours to minutes.
The players
Yinka Ogunbiyi
She is the co-founder of HaloBraid and the primary inventor behind the automated hair braiding concept.
Vernon François
He is a renowned celebrity hair stylist who serves as a Creative Engineer for the HaloBraid development team.
David Afolabi
He is the co-founder of HaloBraid who helped secure the company's $7 million in total funding.
The details
Co-founded by Yinka Ogunbiyi and David Afolabi, the device performs the repetitive segments of the braiding process while mimicking professional stylist techniques. Celebrity hair stylist Vernon François has joined the development team as a Creative Engineer to help refine the tool.
Timeline
HaloBraid won the Harvard President's Innovation Challenge in 2025.
The device is scheduled for a commercial launch in autumn 2026.
Culture Shift
The introduction of the automated hair braiding device marks a departure from labor-intensive manual styling methods that have dominated the industry for centuries. It reflects a broader trend of integrating high-tech automation into artisanal service sectors to improve efficiency and physical well-being.
For local salons, this technology could significantly decrease the time clients spend in the chair while reducing repetitive strain for stylists. Consumers may soon find themselves able to complete complex braiding styles in a fraction of the time currently required.
The takeaway
The development of automated tools for hair care highlights how personal challenges can drive large-scale industrial solutions. As salons prepare for the 2026 launch, this technology offers a glimpse into a future where traditional styling processes are enhanced by mechanical efficiency.
What happens next
The company is planning to debut the device commercially in professional salons starting in autumn 2026.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest innovations in Beauty across the region.
Source note: This article includes information reported by BellaNaija.
Live Poll
Do you believe automated tools for personal care services improve the quality of your experience?
