Former Google software engineer Chisom Okwor is building Braidiant, a US-based startup developing an automated handheld device to speed up hair braiding for professional stylists. Launched in 2024, the company targets a labor-intensive market where price, time, and physical strain limit supply. Okwor previously worked on Google Maps for cars and paid for her undergraduate computer science degree by braiding hair. That experience shaped Braidiant’s focus on building tools that support stylists’ work rather than replace it.​ Automating Standardized Braiding Styles Hair braiding in the US is often expensive and