Latest news with #Kikkeri
Time of India
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Indian techie Harsha Kikkeri's younger son only surviving member of family after murder-suicide tragedy in US
Harshavardhana Kikkeri was a celebrated techie who once met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a Digital India summit. The younger son of Indian techie Harshavardhana S Kikkeri was not at home when he reportedly shot and killed his wife and his elder son and then shot himself in a tragedy that took place in Seattle's King County Monday. Shwetha Panyam, 41, and Dhruva Kikkeri, 14, died from gunshot wounds. Panyam's and Dhruva's deaths were classified as homicides. Harshavardhana Kikkeri , 44, died by suicide, according to the medical examiner's office, the Seattle Times reported. Alex Gumina, the homeowner association president, said a family of four — a husband, wife and their two sons — lived in the home and mostly kept to themselves. The younger son, seven years old, escaped the tragedy as he was not at home at that time. What happened to Harsha Kikkeri, a celebrated techie? Many questions remain unanswered as Harsha Kikkeri , the CEO of HoloWorld, a robotics company which is headquartered in Myrsuru town, was known as a bright and promising mind who accomplished a lot. Cricketer Yuvraj Singh funded his organization and was also the brand ambassador. A 2017 selfie that he took with Bollywood actor Aishwarya Rai surfaced on social media showing the prominence that he enjoyed in India. Harsha met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a Digital India summit. On the night of the shooting, authorities were called to the townhouse on 129th Street after receiving a 911 call. The KING 5 television station said its crew saw a child -- the younger son of the Kikkeri family -- being escorted from the home and comforted by investigators. The detectives found blood on the front window and a lone hollow point bullet in the street. Kikkeri who belonged to the Kikkeri village in Madya, graduated from Sri Jayachamarajendra College of Engineering in Mysuru, and worked with Microsoft in the US, focusing on robotics. He also had a Master of Science degree from Syracuse University, US. Kikkeri held 44 international patents and worked in Infosys as a software engineer before moving to the US. According to reports, he returned to India in 2017 along with his wife and co-founded HoloWorld. Then he invented HoloSuit, an AI-powered full-body motion capture suit functioning as a virtual trainer.
Indian Express
30-04-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
‘Very promising and intelligent': a friend remembers Karnataka tech CEO Harshavardhana Kikkeri
Days after Harshavardhana S Kikkeri, a tech entrepreneur from Karnataka, allegedly shot dead his wife and one of his sons before taking his own life in Washington state, US, his friend in Mysuru Wednesday expressed his shock over the deaths. Harshavardhana S Kikkeri, 57, who was the CEO of HoloWorld, a robotics company headquartered in Mysuru town, reportedly shot Shwetha Panyam, 44, his wife and co-founder of HoloWorld, and their 14-year-old son. While the incident took place on April 24 in Newcastle, Washington, the police in the US town are yet to reveal the motive behind his actions. Speaking to The Indian Express, Bhaskar Kalale, Chairman, EqualizeRCM said Kikkeri was a very active tech-savvy friend. 'The last time I met him was in Mysuru about a year ago. He was very promising, intelligent, and had accomplished a lot of things. In fact, cricketer Yuvraj Singh had funded his organisation and also was the brand ambassador,' added Kalale, who is also the president of the Mysuru chapter of The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE). 'Many from the business fraternity in Mysuru thought that he was juggling between the US and Mysuru and never knew he had shifted his family,' Kalale said. Kalale said Kikkeri, also a TEDx speaker, used to deliver several talks in Mysuru about technology and innovation. While none of Kikkeri's family members lived in Mysuru, HoloWorld was headquartered in the town's Vijayanagar Third Stage area. He also ran a training centre for robotics in Mysuru. Speaking to the media, the owner of the building where Kikkeri had his office said he started it in 2018, but it was shut down after 2022. The training centre for robotics was also shut, but the HoloWorld operated from Mysuru and the US. 'He was a very reserved person who spoke less but was very humble,' the building owner added. Meanwhile, Brandyn Hull, spokesperson of the sheriff in King County, Washington, told the media they are investigating whether the deaths were a murder-suicide. 'An investigation such as this takes time, and our detectives are working diligently to try and piece together what led to this incident,' Hull said in a statement. American newspaper The Seattle Times reported the police attended a 911 call around 7 pm on April 24, and they found three people dead, and a toddler alive. According to the report, the detectives found blood on the front window, and a lone hollow point bullet in the street. Kikkeri, who belonged to the Kikkeri village in Mandya, graduated from Sri Jayachamarajendra College of Engineering in Mysuru, and worked with Microsoft in the US, focusing on robotics. He also had a Master of Science degree from Syracuse University, US. Kikkeri held 44 international patents, and worked in Infosys as a software engineer before moving to the US. In 2017, he and his wife, Shwetha, returned to India and co-founded HoloWorld. The company gained recognition in 2018 with the launch of HoloSuit, a wireless full-body motion capture suit used in sports, education, healthcare, and other fields. The company's products were exported to countries, including the US, the UK, and Israel.
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First Post
30-04-2025
- First Post
The horrific tale of the Indian techie in US who killed wife, son and then died by suicide
Harshavardhana S Kikkeri, the CEO of robotics company HoloWorld, is believed to have shot and killed his wife and one of his sons before taking his own life at his home in US' Newcastle. The Indian techie from Mysuru rose to fame for his AI-powered Holosuits and often delivered talks on robotics. He even met PM Narendra Modi to pitch the use of robotic solutions for strengthening border security read more Harshavardhana S Kikkeri, the CEO of HoloWorld is believed to have shot and killed his wife and one of his sons at their Newcastle home before taking his own life. Image courtesy: X/@knharsha In a shocking case from the United States, an Indian tech entrepreneur is believed to have shot and killed his wife and one of his sons before taking his own life. Harshavardhana S Kikkeri, the CEO of HoloWorld — a robotics firm headquartered in Mysuru — was found dead inside his home in the US, along with his wife, Shwetha Panyam, 44, and their 14-year-old son, identified as Dhruva Kikkeri, on April 24, according to the Seattle Times. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The couple's younger child, a seven-year-old boy, was the only one from the family who survived, as he wasn't home at the time of the tragic incident. Once celebrated for his contributions to robotics and tech innovation, Kikkeri's story ended in tragedy, leaving behind a devastated family and a trail of questions that are yet to be answered. Here's what we know so far. Who was Harshavardhana Kikkeri? As reported by Deccan Herald, Harshavardhana S Kikkeri hailed from KR Pet Taluk in Mandya, Karnataka. He pursued his education in Mysuru before heading to the United States, where he completed a Master's degree in Electrical Engineering from Syracuse University. A specialist in robotics, Kikkeri had also worked with Microsoft earlier in his career. In 2017, he returned to India and, along with his wife Shwetha Panyam, co-founded HoloWorld. Just a year later, he gained attention for inventing the HoloSuit, an AI-powered full-body motion capture suit that functioned as a virtual trainer. In 2017, Harshavardhan Kikkeri returned to India and, along with his wife Shwetha Panyam, co-founded HoloWorld. Image courtesy: HoloWorld The suit had applications across multiple sectors — from sports and education to healthcare and its products were exported to several countries, including the US, UK, and Israel. Cricketer Yuvraj Singh was their brand ambassador, as per information available on the company's website. At the peak of his professional success, Kikkeri even met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to pitch the use of robotic solutions for strengthening border security, reports the Indian Express. In 2022, he and his family relocated back to the US. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD According to a TEDx Talk description on YouTube, Kikkeri had received multiple honours, including a Gold Star from Microsoft, an Excellence Award from Infosys, and the Bharat Petroleum Scholarship. The video description claimed he held 44 international patents spanning the US, Europe, China, and Japan, and had also won several chess tournaments. He was also an active member of The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) community and often spoke on topics related to innovation and robotics. Despite the promising start, HoloWorld eventually shut down in 2022. However, its social media presence remained active on social media until November 2023. How Kikkeri's life took a dark turn On the evening of April 24, authorities responded to a 911 call reporting a shooting at the Kirkkeri family's townhouse on 129th Place Southeast, in Newcastle, Washington state. Upon arrival, deputies discovered blood on a window and a bullet in the street along with the bodies of Harshavardhana Kikkeri, his wife Shwetha, and their 14-year-old son, Dhruva Kikkeri. The King County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed that Shwetha and Dhruva died from gunshot wounds. Police have not revealed the motive behind the crime and refused to comment on whether it was a case of murder-suicide. However, the medical examiner's office classified Shwetha and Dhruva's deaths as homicides and stated that Harshavardhana died by suicide, according to _Seattle Times. T_he couple's younger son, 7, is the only survivor. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Neighbours said the family of four was friendly but kept to themselves. An investigation is underway, said the police. With input from agencies
Time of India
30-04-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Who is Harshavardhana Kikkeri, the Indian-origin tech CEO who killed wife and son and dies by suicide
An Indian-origin tech CEO , Harshvardhan Kikkeri was found dead alongside his wife and sone at their Newcastle, Washington home. The incident, which occurred on April 24, has been classified as a murder-suicide by authorities. According to a report by Renton Reporter, the victims Harshavardhana S Kikkeri, 57, his wife Shwetha Panyam, 44, and their 14-year-old son have been living in the US for number of years. The police received a call from 911 after which they discovered the bodies. Shwetha and Dhruva's deaths were ruled homicides, while Kikkeri's was determined to be a suicide. The couple's younger son, aged 7, survived as he was not at home during the incident. Who is Harshavardhana Kikkeri? Originally from Mysuru, Harshvardhan Kikkeri was the CEO of HoloWorld , which is a roboticscompany which he co-founded along with this wife in 2017. He was known for his innovation in robotics and the creation of HoloSuit, an AI-enabled motion capture suit. Kikkeri held 44 international patents and had received accolades such as the Gold Star from Microsoft and the Excellence Award from Infosys. Kikkeri spent 8 years at Microsoft as a robotics software engineer. Additionally, he worked with Codecs & DSP as a software design engineer. His career began in 2002 when he joined Infosys as a software engineer. Kikkeri studied Bachelor of Engineering from University of Mysore in 2004. After this he studied Master of Science from Syracuse University, USA. Harshavardhana Kikkeri shoots family dead in US, then kills self Mysuru-born entrepreneur Harshavardhana Kikkeri, 57, is alleged to have fatally shot his wife Shwetha, 41, and their 14-year-old son at their residence in Newcastle, near Washington, US, before taking his own life on April 24. Reports indicate their younger son survived as he was not home at the time. News of the tragic incident was confirmed by a family friend in Mysuru, who also reported that Harshavardhana's mother, Girija, a resident of Mysuru, has left for the United States. The friend further noted that his elder brother, Chethan, who had also been living in the US, had recently made a permanent return to Mysuru. Harshavardhana's father, Kikkeri Narayana, was a respected linguist and a progressive activist.
Hindustan Times
29-04-2025
- Hindustan Times
Indian origin CEO allegedly shoots wife, son before killing self in US townhouse: Report
Harshavardhana Kikkeri, a 57-year-old Indian-origin CEO, allegedly killed his co-founder wife Shwetha Panyam (44), son Dhruva Kikkeri (14) and later died by suicide in a townhouse in the United State's Washington last week. The incident came to light when a case of shooting was reported to King County Sheriff's Office (KCSO) in Newcastle. The Medical Examiners Office confirmed that three people were found dead at the crime scene, according to Renton Reporter. Authorities said that the CEO's son and wife died of gunshot wounds and the manner of death was homicide. While his son was discovered with bullet wounds to his head, his wife's body had an extra shooting injury to her torso. Later, Kikkeri died by suicide. Neighbours said the family of four kept to themselves and lived in the townhouse, with the couple's younger son, 7, being the only survivor. Officials did not disclose the motive behind the crime but acknowledged that questions may arise around the circumstances of this incident. They also opted to proceed with their investigation. 'An investigation such as this takes time, and our detectives are working diligently to try and piece together what led to this incident. Until this work concludes, the Sheriff's Office won't have any further updates,' the report quoted the KSCO officials as saying. Kikkeri is a native of Karnataka's Mandya and studied in Mysuru and later in the US. He held a Masters degree in Electrical Engineering from Syracuse University and had worked with Microsoft, specialising in robotics. The former CEO has won numerous leadership awards including Gold Star from Microsoft, Excellence Award from Infosys, Bharat Petroleum Scholarship and several chess tournaments. The couple founded HoloWorld after returning to India in 2017, but the firm reportedly ended its operations in 2022. Kikkeri and his family went back to US in 2022 and created HoloSuit, a full body motion capture suit with AI capabilities. The invention made headlines for its capacity to act as a virtual trainer for a human body.
