Black-Founded Hair-Braiding Robot Wins Top Prize at Harvard Startup Competition.
Known as the “Halo Braid,” this braiding device streamlines the process, helping stylists complete the style more quickly.
A hair-braiding robot has claimed the top prize at a startup competition hosted by Harvard Innovation Labs.
Halo Braid was named the 2025 President’s Innovation Challenge Winner, earning top honors in the Alumni + Affiliates Open Track. Hosted by Harvard, the annual competition invites students and alumni from all 13 schools to pitch groundbreaking ideas with the potential to disrupt industries. This year, the transformative Halo Braid took the spotlight as the competition’s standout innovation.
Harvard Business School alumni Yinka Ogunbiyi and David Afolabi, the inventors of Halo Braid, aim to reduce braiding time by 50%. With their robotic braiding tool, they seek to help stylists and clients save both time and money, enhancing efficiency and streamlining the traditionally time-intensive process.
The pitch quickly captured attention by spotlighting the challenges of traditional hair braiding.
“What if every haircut took six hours, cost $200 to $300, and left your stylist with arthritis by age two? That’s what it’s like to get your hair braided,” said co-founder Yinka Ogunbiyi. “I know this firsthand—I’ve worn braids my entire life.”
She continued, “Hair braiding is now the most popular hairstyle for 20 million Americans who endure this grueling process every eight weeks. Yet, braiding hasn’t evolved since it was invented 5,000 years ago.”
The team’s patent-pending hair-braiding robot is designed to assist stylists by completing the braids they begin—dramatically reducing appointment times and making the experience more efficient for both stylists and clients.
“Stylists start the braid. Halo finishes it,” Ogunbiyi explained. “We’re cutting braiding time from hours to minutes—transforming the process from painful to joyful and helping stylists grow their business without sacrificing their health.”
The global hair braiding market is projected to surpass $625 million by 2032, according to Custom Market Insights. Tapping into this momentum, Halo Braid aims to revolutionize the industry by helping stylists dramatically cut down braiding time—without compromising on quality.
“Our device has completed thousands of braids, including full hairstyles like mine, over the past year,” said co-founder Yinka Ogunbiyi. “Using machine learning, we’re able to replicate professional-quality braids—but at five times the speed.”
Currently, Halo Braid has a growing waitlist of both professional and aspiring braiders eager to enhance their services. With their recent competition win, the team plans to use the funding to bring their vision to market—poised to transform the future of textured hairstyling.
