Nigerian-American engineer Yinka Ogunbiyi has secured $7 million in seed funding to launch HaloBraid, the world’s first robot designed to assist with hair braiding. The funding round was led by Alexis Ohanian’s Seven Seven Six, with additional support from AlleyCorp and Bling Capital. HaloBraid is a collaborative robot, or cobot, meant to work alongside professional stylists rather than replace them. It automates the repetitive mid-shaft braiding process, which can reduce appointment times by half. The technology also aims to address the physical toll the profession takes on stylists, including chronic arthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome. The company already has a waiting list of over 7,000 salons eager to implement the technology.