Getting braids could soon take a fraction of the time thanks to the new AI-powered hair company HaloBraid, a startup developing technology for textured hair. According to a press release published June 23, the company has raised $7 million in seed funding to bring the world’s first braid-assist device to market.
HaloBraid funding: Why does it matter?
The machine uses machine learning to help professional stylists complete braids up to five times faster while maintaining their own unique braiding technique. Stylists begin each braid by hand, and the device takes over the repetitive portion of the process, allowing them to finish styles more efficiently while staying in full creative control.
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The funding round was led by Seven Seven Six (776), the venture capital firm founded by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, with additional backing from AlleyCorp and Bling Capital. The investment will support product development, manufacturing, stylist testing, and salon partnerships as Halo prepares for its commercial launch.
“As an investor, I look for founders that see something broken that everyone else has accepted as fixed. Braiding is a perfect example: it is a process that has not materially changed in thousands of years, despite being one of the most popular hairstyles for millions of Americans and a significant part of the $270 billion salon services industry,” said Alexis Ohanian, General Partner at 776. “Halo has introduced a novel technology to a manual and highly specialized professionl service.”
Who is the founder of HaloBraid?
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