"The S3 acquisition brings in top talent that will rapidly deliver on our mobile strategy, and produce several new mobile product offerings this year," said Shopify founder Tobias Lutke in a statement. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Shopify stores already include mobile-optimized sites, as well as an app that allows merchants to manage their stores on the go. Next on the list is likely some sort of native app storefront offering, and with experience building apps for companies from giants like PricewaterhouseCoopers to startups such as Getaround, the S3 team would be equipped to push it out.
"Acquihires" like Shopify's recent purchase are a common enough manuever in Silicon Valley to warrant a word mash-up. To give you an idea of the job market for developers, there are startups that focus on helping other startups hire engineers. Sometime it's easier to buy than hire.