Wiley buys edtech start-up Ranku

John Wiley & Sons has bought edtech start-up Ranku for an undisclosed sum.

Seattle-based Ranku has worked with state universities to create an online marketplace where prospective students can easily browse and apply. The marketplace also collects data about student interest, which institutions can use to work out which online programmes to launch or expand.

Ranku will be run as a stand-alone company from its current base.

The acquisition follows hard on the heels of Wiley's acquisition of Silicon Valley-based publishing software company Atypon in a $120m (£91.5m) cash deal.

Wiley's fiscal year 2016, reported in June, saw its percentage of full-year revenue from digital products rise to 63% (60% in previous year), while the print books contribution fell to 23% (25% in previous year).