Mysuru tech entrepreneur Harshavardhana S Kikkeri kills wife and son in US, dies by suicide

The younger child of Harshavardhana S Kikkeri and Shwetha Panyam, who co-founded robotics startup HoloWorld, has survived the incident.

The deceased are Harshavardhana S Kikkeri, 57, who was CEO of HoloWorld, a robotics company headquartered in Mysuru’s Vijayanagar Third Stage; Shwetha Panyam, 44, his wife and co-founder of HoloWorld. (Express Photo)

A Mysuru-based tech entrepreneur allegedly shot dead his wife and one of his sons before taking his own life in New Castle, Washington, where the family lived, on April 24.

According to the King County Sheriff’s Office, deputies who responded to a 911 call discovered three bodies inside Harsha’s home. The motive behind the crime is yet to be revealed.

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Harsha was originally from Kikkeri village in Mandya district. A graduate of Sri Jayachamarajendra College of Engineering in Mysuru, he had worked with Microsoft in the US, specialising in robotics. In 2017, he and Shwetha returned to India and co-founded HoloWorld. The company closed its operations in 2022.

The company made headlines in 2018 for creating HoloSuit, an innovative, wireless, full-body motion capture suit. With applications in sports, education, healthcare, and more, HoloWorld’s products were exported globally, including to the US, the UK, and Israel. Shwetha served as the company’s chairperson.

Harsha’s work gained recognition at the national level—he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to pitch using robots for border security. He was also active in The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) community and often delivered talks on robotics and innovation.

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