Business
Nigeria’s Museum To Supervise Return Of Benin Bronzes
By Chinasaokwu Helen Okoro Nigeria’s National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) will take charge of retrieving and preserving the Benin Bronzes, with...
Botswana Assured Enhanced 10-year Diamond Deal With De Beers
By Chinasaokwu Helen Okoro On Tuesday, the Botswana government finalized a significant diamond sales agreement with De Beers, marking a pivotal moment for...
Senegal’s Debt and Deficit: A Harsh Economic Reality
By Chinasaokwu Helen Okoro Senegal faces a budgetary crisis following a damning report, Ibrahim Traoré bets on industrialization for Burkina Faso's self-sufficiency, and...
Zambian president promotes investment in Japan visit
By Ollus Ndomu Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema on Tuesday promoted investment opportunities in Zambia at the Zambia-Japan Business Forum in Tokyo, urging Japanese...
NIGERIA: Fidelity Bank set to Launch Innovative SME Hub with Creative Studios
By: Chioma Madonna Ndukwu Fidelity Bank, a leading financial institution, has announced the imminent launch of its dedicated physical facility for Small and...
Nigerian Telecom Subscribers Reject 50% Tariff Hike, Threaten Legal Action
By: Chioma Madonna Ndukwu The National Association of Telecoms Subscribers (NATCOMS) has firmly opposed Nigeria's newly approved 50% telecom tariff hike, calling it...
South Africa To Embrace M&A Gain Amid Rand Stability And Global Interest
By Chinasaokwu Helen Okoro South Africa is set to benefit from an increase in merger and acquisition (M&A) deals this year as the...
Mali Takes Control of 3 Tonnes of Gold from Barrick Gold, a Canadian Company, Amid Revenue Conflict
By: Chioma Madonna Ndukwu Mali’s military government has seized three tonnes of gold from Canadian mining giant Barrick Gold in the midst of...
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Harvard-Trained Nigerian-American Engineer Raises $7m for Robot Designed to Assist Hair Braiders A Nigerian-American engineer and Harvard graduate, Yinka Ogunbiyi, has secured $7 million in seed funding to develop a robotic device designed to make hair braiding faster and less physically demanding for professional stylists. Ogunbiyi’s company, HaloBraid, is developing what it describes as the world’s first patented braid-assist robot. The device is designed to work with hairstylists by handling some of the repetitive movements involved in knotless braiding. The funding round was led by Seven Seven Six, a venture capital firm founded by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. AlleyCorp and Bling Capital were also among the investors. The technology has already attracted significant interest, with more than 7,000 salons reportedly waiting to use the system. HaloBraid is designed as a collaborative robot, meaning it works alongside a human stylist instead of attempting to replace one. The hairstylist remains responsible for sectioning the hair, creating the initial knot and completing the final styling. The robot then assists with the repetitive weaving process down the length of the braid before the stylist returns to finish and shape the ends. According to the company, the technology could cut the time spent on some knotless braid appointments by roughly half, allowing salons to serve more clients while reducing the physical pressure on stylists. For Ogunbiyi, the idea was born from personal experience. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she spent four days installing knotless braids on herself, an experience that made her consider how technology could assist with the most repetitive aspects of the process. She subsequently teamed up with co-founder David Afolabi to develop HaloBraid. The company’s technology is also aimed at addressing the physical demands of professional braiding. Stylists who spend years performing repetitive movements can experience problems affecting their wrists, hands, shoulders, back and joints. By assisting with the most repetitive stage of braiding, HaloBraid hopes to reduce the strain on beauty professionals and help them work more efficiently. Ogunbiyi said the technology would not take away from the personal experience of visiting a salon. Rather, she believes it can allow stylists to spend less time on repetitive movements while continuing to handle the creative and personal aspects of hairstyling. Before launching HaloBraid, Ogunbiyi worked on smart kitchen appliances and Internet of Things products. She holds a joint master’s degree in engineering and business administration from Harvard University. With a $7 million investment and thousands of salons already expressing interest, HaloBraid is seeking to introduce robotics into one of the world’s largest and most labour-intensive beauty markets.
Harvard-Trained Nigerian-American Engineer Raises $7m for Robot Designed to Assist Hair Braiders A Nigerian-American engineer and Harvard graduate, Yinka Ogunbiyi, has secured $7...
Days to Their Wedding, VeryDarkMan Sends Peller and Jarvis a Serious Warning
Days to Their Wedding, VeryDarkMan Sends Peller and Jarvis a Serious Warning Social media critic Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, has...
IOC Declines to Investigate Infantino Over Alleged Political Neutrality Breach
IOC Declines to Investigate Infantino Over Alleged Political Neutrality Breach The International Olympic Committee has refused to pursue a complaint against FIFA President...
IMO APC YOUTH LEAGUE INAUGURATES BOOTH WATCHDOGS, WARD CANVASSERS TO STRENGTHEN GRASSROOTS STRUCTURE AHEAD OF 2027
The Imo State Chapter of the APC Youth League on Thursday, July 23, 2026, successfully hosted its Interactive Session and Banquet at the...
VIDEO: 68 Passengers Survive Enugu Air Crash-Landing at Benin Airport
VIDEO: 68 Passengers Survive Enugu Air Crash-Landing at Benin Airport Sixty-eight passengers have escaped without reported injuries after an Enugu Air aircraft crash-landed...
WASTE EVACUATION DELAYS WILL SOON EASE* *– LAWMA*
*PRESS RELEASE* *WASTE EVACUATION DELAYS WILL SOON EASE* *– LAWMA* *LASG to Acquire 3,000 Compactor Trucks Within Three Years* The Lagos Waste Management...
5 Members of Same Family Found Dead Inside Abia Residence
5 Members of Same Family Found Dead Inside Abia Residence A family of five has been found dead inside their residence in Umuimo...
US Weighs Military Action in Mali as Jihadist Threat Spreads Across the Sahel
US Weighs Military Action in Mali as Jihadist Threat Spreads Across the Sahel The United States is weighing possible military action against Jama’at...
African Talking Drum: Tortoise Lost More Than His Name
By: Chioma Madonna Ndukwu African Talking Drum: Tortoise Lost More Than His Name In the old days, before the animals began keeping count...
Police Storm Abuja Facility After VDM Uncovers Alleged Baby Factory
Police Storm Abuja Facility After VDM Uncovers Alleged Baby Factory A police operation at a facility in Karshi, Abuja, has sparked fresh concerns...
‘He Could Have Studied Abroad’: Kwankwaso’s Son’s Graduation in Nigeria Sparks Reactions
‘He Could Have Studied Abroad’: Kwankwaso’s Son’s Graduation in Nigeria Sparks Reactions The graduation of Alamin Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, son of former Kano...
