Apple acquires education startup LearnSprout

Apple has acquired education-technology startup LearnSprout, reports Bloomberg, as it looks to bolster its education offerings through the iPad lineup.

"Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans," an Apple spokesperson said. This is a boilerplate statement believed to confirm Apple's acquisitions from time-to-time. There's no word on pricing or exact terms of the deal.

LearnSprouts says more than 2,500 school districts in 42 states use its software that aggregates the grades of all students in the school. This allows teachers and administrative staff to analyze data to help struggling students.

Apple, Google, Microsoft and others have been in a heated battle to gain marketshare in school districts across the US. Following the introduction of the creativity-focused iPad Pro, improving its education offerings could help Apple combat struggling iPad sales.