Mate holds a master's degree in microbiology from the Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest and a Ph.D. in molecular biology from the Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich. He completed a postdoctoral project at the University of Southampton followed by a second one at the University of Edinburgh before founding the company Algacraft LTD. Algacraft is creating innovative, automated, lab-scale bioreactors for alga production and is also offering a growth optimization service, where ideal parameters for algal growth or compound production are elucidated using state-of-the-art techniques. Algacraft is also experimenting with using algae for space applications and is currently preparing the pilot project for a Mars mission simulation at the Mars Desert Research Station in Utah.