In the mid- to late-2010s, myriad groups of veteran engineers from different backgrounds set their problem-solving sights on beauty, looking to develop robotic systems that would boost the speed and accessibility of beauty services. Now, the fruits of their labor are increasingly coming to market.
There’s the robotic manicure machine that debuted last November by Boston-based 10Beauty, whose team of engineers hail from Keurig, Shark Ninja, Roomba and more. There’s also Luum, which launched its newest-generation lash extension robot at Nordstrom around the same time and whose cofounders include veterans of Ekso Bionics, a maker of robotic exoskeletons for stroke and spinal cord injury survivors. Other innovations, meanwhile, are being readied for market, like the hair-braiding robot being developed by Massachusetts-based HaloBraid to help stylists reduce braiding time.
It’s not a crowded space — unlike many others in beauty — but it is one that has garnered the interest of high-profile investors and retailers alike, for whom 2026 will be a key year in determining consumer interest in these innovations, and what scaling could look like.
For both 10Beauty and Luum, the next few months are about ensuring efficacy and efficiency in service.
“We’re very much walking before we run,” said 10Beauty cofounder Alexander Shashou. The 10Beauty manicure machine is available in two Ulta doors, where a manicure of up to five steps is priced at $30, and takes anywhere between 25 minutes to 45 minutes. Since launch, more than 100 manicures have been completed. “We’re currently restricting appointments to three a day, five days a week, but we’ve been sold out for every appointment.”
For each appointment, a professional nail technician is present to help the customer with their selections, and step in in the event that unforeseen circumstances — for instance, store Wi-Fi outages — inhibit the robot.
10Beauty’s manicure machine.
Courtesy
“That’s worked well, because then we don’t have to anticipate every question; there’s someone to meet you, guide you through the the process,” said Shashou, adding that by this summer, he anticipates the robots will be able to deliver the manicure from start to finish without a technician present. “By then, you’ll be able to tell the companion tablet to touch up a nail; we should have enough software in the app that you don’t need a nail tech,” Shashou said.
In the meantime, 10Beauty is looking to bring its Ulta door count in the greater Boston area up to five by early 2026, then move to New York and New Jersey with the retailer, and launch at a New York hair salon via its partnership with The Belgrade Group. “We hope to have about 30 sites up and running by the summertime, and then really begin scaling the robot after that,” Shashou said.
One of 10Beauty’s intended retailers is Nordstrom, where the latest generation of the Luum robot is currently in two California doors in Irving and San Jose, and at its New York flagship. Two or three more lash machines will soon land in Dallas at Ulta, with whom Luum has been piloting an earlier version of the robot since 2023.
“We’ve done thousands of sessions so far. Seventy percent of our clients come back within three weeks to get their lashes redone, and 45 percent of the women we’ve lashed at Nordstrom have never been lashed before, so we’re expanding the size of this industry by bringing new folks into it,” said Jo Lawson, chief executive officer of Luum, who has previously held executive roles at Apple and PayPal.
The Luum robot offers three lash styles and two lash lengths, totaling six variations. A full set costs $199, and a refill booked within 24 days is $99. Timing-wise, appointments are scheduled for 90 minutes. Within months that will be reduced to one hour, and the eventual goal is to cut the time down to 33 minutes.
Like the 10Beauty machine, the Luum robot requires a lash technician to be present. Unlike the former, Luum does not plan to phase out the technicians anytime soon. “I don’t see how it would be possible,” said Lawson, adding that even if the software improved to the point of being able to execute a consumer’s desired touch-ups, other parts of the process — for instance, safely taping the lashes up — still require a human touch.
“Lashes and nails are a key part of many of our customers’ beauty routines, but they are both services that are time-intensive,” said a Nordstrom spokesperson of what drew the retailer to Luum and 10Beauty. “By introducing these services, our goal is to give customers options that fit seamlessly into their busy lives.”
“It’s not just technology for the sake of technology,” said Kelly Dill, partner at Imaginary Ventures, of the investment firm’s decision to invest in 10Beauty pre-launch. The firm also has stakes in Skims, Mikayla Noguiera’s POV Beauty and Reformation. Other investors of 10Beauty, which has has raised $52 million to date, include Karlie Kloss and Victoria Beckham.
“We’re always looking to solve real consumer pain points, and 10Beauty matters because it offers an experience that doesn’t already exist, and that we feel confident consumers want,” Dill said.
