Licensed Cosmetologist/Nail Tech

PSA: Robot manicures have landed in Chicago. This Streeterville salon now offers manicures performed almost entirely by a robot. Thursday July 9 2026 The robots aren't just coming for your groceries and your customer service calls anymore. They're coming for your cuticles. Chicago is now home to one of the country's first fully robotic manicure experiences, thanks to Boston startup 10Beauty, which has installed its AI-powered nail machine inside 7AM Nail Care in Streeterville. If you've ever wished you could squeeze in a fresh manicure during your lunch break without a usual salon appointment, this might be your moment. The machine looks a bit like something out of a sci-fi movie, but the service is surprisingly familiar. First, your hand is mapped in 3D by seven computer vision cameras, then the robot gets to work removing old polish, pushing back cuticles, shaping nails, applying color, adding a top coat and drying everything, all with proprietary single-use tools and sealed polish pods designed for hygiene. The company says the manicure takes about 37 minutes from start to finish. Co-founders Alex Shashou and Justin Effron spent nearly six years - and more than $70 million in funding, according to American Salon - developing the technology. Early versions of the robot only worked on left hands and Shashou famously spent years flying between New York and Boston with one hand painted bright red so engineers could teach the machine to remove polish and repaint it. Today, the company says it has agreements to deploy roughly 850 machines through retail and salon partners, with longer-term ambitions to bring the technology to hotels, fitness clubs and eventually even homes. Chicago is one of the first cities to get a taste. Alongside the Streeterville location at 7AM Nail Care, 10Beauty recently debuted another machine inside Ulta Beauty's new flagship store in Naperville. (More locations are already on the way, including Nordstrom in Natick, Massachusetts.) Whether robots are the future of beauty is still up for debate, but the appeal is easy to see: the machines promise consistent results, use fresh tools for every appointment and are built for people who value speed as much as shiny nails. If nothing else, it's one of the more entertaining ways to spend 37 minutes in Streeterville - and you'll leave with a conversation starter before anyone even notices your manicure. Been there, done that? Think again, my friend.

10Beauty raises $23.5M led by Story Ventures to expand robotic manicures to retail and salons. BURLINGTON, Mass.-(BUSINESS WIRE)-10Beauty, the robotics company behind the first full-service robotic manicure, has raised $23.5 million in new funding led by Story Ventures, bringing total funding to more than $70 million. 10Beauty is building a new way for beauty services to be delivered, starting with one of the most frequent and repeatable services in the category: the manicure. Manicures are a regular part of life for millions of consumers, but the experience has remained difficult to access consistently. Appointments can be hard to schedule, service times can be unpredictable, and results can vary from one visit to the next. At the same time, many consumers are looking for an alternative to gels and other enhanced services that is easier to remove, gentler on the nail, and better for you. 10Beauty is redesigning the traditional polish manicure for today's consumer: a beautiful, long-lasting manicure, delivered with robotics, computer vision, and a proprietary polish system in the places people already shop, work out, travel, and spend time. The 10Beauty machine performs the full manicure workflow, including polish removal, nail shaping, cuticle care, color application, top coat, and drying. The system uses computer vision and precision robotics to deliver a consistent service, while single-use polish pods, similar in form to a coffee capsule, help make each manicure hygienic and repeatable. 10Beauty's proprietary polish is vegan, non-toxic and designed to deliver a traditional manicure that lasts longer than a typical traditional polish manicure. 10Beauty is currently live with Ulta Beauty in Greater Boston and is now expanding to Chicago. New sites include Nordstrom in Natick, Massachusetts, Ulta Beauty's new flagship store in Naperville, Illinois, 7am in Chicago as the company's first nail salon partner, and the Belgrade Group in Boston as its first hair salon partner. The company has agreements in place for ~850 machines across its first retail partners. The new funding will support continued technology development, operational readiness, and the broader rollout of 10Beauty across retail and salon partners. "We're rethinking how beauty services get delivered, starting with the traditional manicure," said Alex Shashou, co-founder and co-CEO of 10Beauty. "People love manicures, but the experience has historically been hard to fit into everyday life. Our vision is to make a beautiful, long-lasting manicure more consistent, more convenient, and available in the places people already are. This funding helps us continue learning in real environments and expand with the right partners." "10Beauty is at the forefront of the robotics-as-a-service movement we are seeing today," said Jake Yormak, Founding Partner at Story Ventures. "They are tackling a massive service category that is frequent, repeatable, and highly valued by consumers. By combining robotics, computer vision, and a thoughtful consumer experience, 10Beauty is creating a new model for how beauty services are delivered, while demonstrating a level of commercial traction that is rare to see in robotics." About 10Beauty 10Beauty is a Boston-based robotics company behind the first full-service robotic manicure. Combining computer vision, precision robotics, and a proprietary single-use pod system, the company has engineered a consistent, convenient, and hygienic robotic manicure experience. Founded in 2019, 10Beauty has raised more than $70 million from leading venture firms and investors, including Story Ventures, Karlie Kloss, Sara and Erin Foster, Bethenny Frankel, and Victoria Beckham. The company is now beginning its initial deployment across retail and salon partners, including Ulta Beauty, Nordstrom, 7am, and the Belgrade Group, and has agreements in place for approximately 850 machines across its first retail partners. 10Beauty. Release Summary Release Versions