shopgate_logoShopgate, a German-based mobile ecommerce company, announced Wednesday it is moving its U.S. headquarters to Austin from Palo Alto and plans to hire 50 local employees.

Shopgate also announced Marc Biel as its Chief Executive Officer to lead its expansion into the U.S. market. Biel previously served as chief financial officer and chief operations officer since 2014.

The company, which raised $15 million in Series C funds in January, reviewed several U.S. cities before choosing Austin, according to the company.

“Austin is home to an incredibly robust eCommerce ecosystem, including some of our strategic partners like BigCommerce and Volusion,” Biel said in a news release.

A big factor in influencing its decision to locate in Austin is access to veteran talent in areas such a business to business sales and strategic marketing. The company recently hired Hass Johnson, vice president of sales, previously with BigCommerce and Casey Gannon, vice president of marketing, previously with Volusion.

Shopgate has more than 650 customers in the U.S. already including Gameday Merchandising, a sports and event merchandising company which sells brands such as the Golden State Warriors and the Oklahoma City Thunder.

“We plan to roll out cutting-edge technology in 2016, including one that we think will make a big splash during our first-ever SXSWi in March,” Biel said.