Tech entrepreneur Harshavardhana Kikkeri sent shockwaves through the Indian-American community in Washington last week after allegedly killing his wife and son before taking his own life. Police had responded to a 911 call on April 24 — finding blood on a window and a bullet in the street as well as three bodies. The motive behind the crime remains unknown at this time.
Local media reports said the police suspect it to be a murder-suicide but efforts remain underway to ascertain the exact reason behind the incident. The incident took place last week on Thursday night while the trio was at home. Their seven-year-old younger son was reportedly outside the house at the time and survived the incidednt.
Who was Harshavardhan Kikkeri?
The 57-year-old was born in the Kikkeri village of Karnataka and studied at the Sri Jayachamarajendra College of Engineering in Mysuru. Kikkeri went on to obtain a Masters degree in electrical engineering from Syracuse University before joining Microsoft and specialising in robots. He returned to India in 2017 and co-founded HoloWorld with his (now deceased) wife Shwetha. The company is best known for creating the HoloSuit — a wireless, full-body motion capture suit with wide-ranging applications. HoloWorld products had also been exported globally — including the US, UK and Israel — till the company closed operations in 2022.
His work had also gained pan-India acclaim — with the Mysuru-based businessman meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to pitch using robots for border security. He had also been active in The Indus Entrepreneurs community and often delivered talks on robotics and innovation. The couple had moved back to the US with their two children after the company shut down, and lived in Newcastle at the time of their deaths.
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