By Peace Erewunmi

The United States Embassy in Nigeria has celebrated Yinka Ogunbiyi, a 27-year-old Nigerian-American biomechanical engineer and Harvard graduate, following her groundbreaking innovation in the beauty technology industry.

Ogunbiyi developed HaloBraid, described as the world’s first patented braid-assist robot, designed to reduce the physical strain on hairstylists while significantly shortening the time required for hair braiding. The innovation has attracted global attention for its potential to transform professional hairstyling.

In a post shared on its official social media platform, the U.S. Mission in Nigeria praised Ogunbiyi’s achievement, highlighting that her startup has raised $7 million in seed funding and already has more than 7,000 professional salons on its waitlist. The Embassy described her success as an example of innovation with global impact.

According to Ogunbiyi, the idea for HaloBraid was inspired by her personal experience during the COVID-19 pandemic, when she spent several days braiding her own hair and experienced severe physical discomfort. She later partnered with fellow innovator David Afolabi to develop the technology, which is intended to assist—not replace—professional hairstylists.

The recognition by the U.S. Embassy has drawn widespread praise, with many Nigerians celebrating Ogunbiyi’s achievement as another example of Nigerian excellence in science, engineering and entrepreneurship on the global stage.