NEWS
NEWS
NEWS
Apple acquires education technology startup LearnSprout for an undisclosed sum
Apple, Inc. has acquired education technology startup LearnSprout, Inc. for an undisclosed sum.
Founded in 2012, Learnsprout makes tools that make student data from school information systems (SIS) more readily accessible.
“Empowering educators to analyze and understand student data,” the company’s platform gives educators the ability to surface data on students’ attendance, grades, and other school activities captured in the SIS.
One of the purposes of collecting and displaying this data is said to be a way to create an early warning system to help educators identify at-risk students.
More than 2,500 school districts in 42 U.S. states use LearnSprout’s software, according to information on the company’s website.
Neither Apple nor LearnSprout have commented publicly on the acquisition, with a spokesman giving Bloomberg its usual confirmation without confirming the deal, saying simply that “Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans.”
Education drive
Apple’s forthcoming mobile operating system iOS 9.3, which is currently in beta testing, offers a variety of new educational resources include shared iPads for students, Apple School Manager for managing student accounts and courses, new Apple ID creation and management options specifically for educators, and a new Classroom app that enables the teaching of a class through app-based lessons.
LearnSprout itself was previously offered only on Mac and PC, but given Apple’s overall push into strengthening its presence in the education market given it has been losing share to Android, it would make sense that Apple would likely port the platform to iOS and offer it along side its other scholastically focused features.
Whether Apple will continue supporting LearnSprout’s current install base of PC users though is another matter and it’s not even clear at this stage whether LearnSprout will continue as a independent entity, not good news for the 2,500 school districts currently using the software.
Prior to acquisition, LearnSprout has raised $4.7 million from investors including Andreessen Horowitz, Formation 8, Samsung Ventures, Silicon Badia, and a number of individual investors.
Image credit: LearnSprout
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