HaloBraid, a robotics startup focused on hair braiding, raises $7 million in a seed round to develop its first automated braiding assistant for salons. The funding is led by Seven Seven Six, the venture firm of Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, according to one report, with TechCrunch also describing the investment from Seven Seven Six.
The company’s product is designed to work with professional stylists rather than replace them. In the workflow described across coverage, a braider starts the braid by hand and then transitions to the robotic assistant to continue the process. HaloBraid positions the technology as a way to reduce the time required for braiding services.
TechCrunch reports that HaloBraid expects its first device to launch later this year and that it targets shortening what it characterizes as long appointment times in salons. Both sources describe the core purpose of the device as an assistant that increases efficiency during hair braiding while keeping stylists involved in initiating the braids and managing the service.
