60 Robomanicures

Robomanicures

Tech startups are disrupting the nail salon by deploying robot manicurists.

“No slip ups. No slow down. No small talk,” promises Clockwork, a SanFrancisco-based company that claims to offer the first robot manicure. Launched in March 2021, the nail tech startup also set up shop in New York’s Rockefeller Center in fall the same year. Convenience and precision are at the heart of Clockwork—in under 10 minutes, painted nails are complete. “Think of us as a fast-casual restaurant and a nail salon like a sit-down restaurant,” Renuka Apte, founder of Clockwork, told Allure. “They each have their own place in people’s lives.”

Nimble is an at-home nail-painting machine slated to go to market at the end of 2021. The company’s Kickstarter campaign aimed to raise $25,000, and had received over $1.8 million as of November 2021. Like Clockwork, Nimble’s machine only takes 10 minutes to paint and polish the nails.

Why it’s interesting The express manicure option will soon be diverted to robots as tech startups identify a growing appetite for salon and at-home convenience. As for the business rationale, the global nailcare market is expected to reach a value of $11.6 billion by 2027, according to figures published by Reportlinker in April 2021.

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