Mysuru: A shocking incident involving Harshavardhana Kikkeri (57), a Mysuru-born tech entrepreneur and founder of robotics firm HoloWorld, has rocked the Indian-American community. On Thursday night (US time), Harsha allegedly shot his wife Shwetha and elder son at their residence in Newcastle near Washington, before dying by suicide. The couple’s 7-year-old son survived, reportedly because he was outside the house at the time.
The motive behind the tragedy remains unclear as investigations are ongoing.
Harsha was the son of renowned linguist Kikkeri Narayana, and had strong roots in Mysuru and KR Pet taluk in Mandya district. An alumnus of Sri Jayachamarajendra College of Engineering (SJCE), he worked at Microsoft before founding HoloWorld and HoloSuit in 2017 — companies focused on immersive robotics and wearable technology. He served as CEO and CTO, with his wife as Chairperson.
HoloWorld gained visibility with Yuvraj Singh as brand ambassador and even earned recognition at a UN Novus summit as a ‘Sustainable Technology Company’. Harsha once discussed border-security robots with PM Narendra Modi, underlining his vision for defense tech.
A former chess player, Harsha was an active mentor at engineering colleges like NIE and SJCE, often encouraging students to innovate and pursue startups. In 2018, he opened a corporate office in Mysuru but returned to the US in 2022.
The incident has left friends, tech circles, and the Mysuru community in deep shock.
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