Dive Brief:

• Shopgate, a German company that specializes in building mobile apps and websites supporting e-commerce, has named Marc Biel as its chief executive officer.
• The company’s COO and CFO since 2014, Biel will lead the company’s expansion into the U.S. mobile market. 
• Shopgate drew $15 million in Series C venture funding last month and is moving its U.S. offices from Palo Alto, CA, to Austin, TX.

Dive Insight:

Shopgate is gearing up for a major expansion in the U.S. with the announcement that it has promoted Marc Biel to the position of CEO. The company recently announced plans to move its U.S. headquarters from Silicon Valley to Austin, and will use $15 million in new venture capital to add 50 staffers there.

Austin offers an excellent pool of talent and proximity to partner businesses including fellow digital commerce players BigCommerce and Volusion, Biel said in a release. “After a review of several cities in the U.S., we quickly realized Austin offered the best opportunity for the kind of rapid growth we envisioned.” Shopgate also named former BigCommerce executive Hass Johnson as vice president of sales and appointed Volusion alum Casey Gannon as vice president of marketing.

Specializing in building mobile apps and websites for retailers, Shopgate is a dominant player in its native Germany. The company’s apps power sales for about 12,000 clients worldwide, including hatmaker Kangol, the NBA's Golden State Warriors and event merchandising company Gameday Merchandising.

Next month, Shopgate plans to make a major announcement at the South by Southwest Interactive (SXSWi) conference in Austin. “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,” Biel said. “Technology leadership will define the successful retailer in 2016.”