Accounting-Assist

What Accounting-Assist does

Accounting-Assist (株式会社アカウンティング・アシスト) is a Tokyo-based boutique professional services firm founded in December 2008 by CPA and tax accountant Jun Motai (茂田井 純一), following his tenure at Asahi Audit Corporation (now KPMG Azsa LLC). The firm specializes in IPO support consulting and has advised on more than 30 IPO engagements since 1996 across JASDAQ, Mothers, TSE First Section, TSE Second Section, and Q-Board, serving venture-stage companies, IPO-preparatory issuers, and listed entities. Its client base includes recognizable names such as ZOZO, VOYAGE GROUP (now CARTA HOLDINGS), MTG, FiNC, Vision, IPES, Kushi Katsu Tanaka, SyncloFood, Change, Default Standard, Fujisan Magazine Service, Sukairaku, GoodComAsset, Fringe81, Tsuna Solutions, and Geolocation Technology. Beyond IPO mandates, the firm serves as outside audit committee member (社外監査役) for client boards, providing recurring post-IPO governance support.

The firm operates as a pure professional services business with no technology products. Its service portfolio spans IPO consulting, short reviews, accounting and tax advisory, J-SOX implementation support, M&A due diligence, business valuation, and corporate restructuring. The team comprises at least three named partners — Jun Motai, Kazutaka Mori (森 一隆), and Motohiro Tanaka (田中 基博) — consistent with a partner-led boutique structure typical of Japanese listing-market advisory firms. The firm is headquartered in Nagatacho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo.

Accounting-Assist monetizes through fee-for-service engagements on IPO preparation projects, short reviews, due diligence, and ongoing advisory retainers, with outside audit committee appointments generating multi-year recurring revenue layered on top of episodic IPO project fees. The firm co-founded the Team IPO Consortium, a multi-disciplinary IPO support network, and maintains partnerships with the Sapporo Securities Exchange, Fukuoka Securities Exchange (via Growth Assist), TAC, Rex Advisers, and the Keio Business Contest (KBC), extending distribution reach beyond direct sales. Pricing is project-based for IPO and DD work and retainer-based for ongoing advisory and audit committee roles; no subscription or platform product exists.

Name

Accounting-Assist

Legal name

株式会社アカウンティング・アシスト

Website

https://accounting-assist.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Accounting-Assist is a Tokyo-based IPO support consulting boutique founded in 2008 by CPA Jun Motai. The firm advises venture and pre-IPO companies on accounting, tax, J-SOX, M&A due diligence, business valuation, and corporate restructuring, and has supported 30+ IPOs since 1996.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

IPO Advisory & Accounting Consulting

NAICS

Offices of Certified Public Accountants (541211), Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services (54121)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

IPO & Public Markets Advisory (BPAHADAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Financial Reporting & Technical Accounting Advisory (GAAP/IFRS) (BPAHABAF), Internal Audit & SOX/ICFR Advisory (BPAHAFAD)

Keywords

• IPO consulting services
• Accounting advisory
• Tax advisory services
• M&A due diligence
• J-SOX compliance

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. IPO Consulting: Core consulting services supporting companies preparing for IPO, including short reviews, preparation roadmaps, internal control design, and listing application document support. Typically billed as fixed-fee consulting contracts based on estimated hours.
2. Accounting & Tax Advisory: Ongoing accounting and tax advisory services as trusted advisor (顧問会計士) to companies, supplementing or replacing traditional tax-only advisors. Typically structured as annual retainer contracts.
3. Outside Audit Committee Member (社外監査役): Team members serve as outside audit committee members (非常勤監査役) on client boards — a common governance role for listed and IPO-target companies. Revenue recognized as professional service fees for board participation.
4. Due Diligence & Valuation: Financial/tax due diligence (DD) and business valuation services for M&A, corporate restructuring, and capital policy decisions. Billed per engagement.
5. Corporate Restructuring / Succession Consulting: Consulting for group reorganizations, business succession planning, and corporate restructuring. May include success-based fee arrangements such as stock options for growing companies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Accounting-Assist is a CPA-led professional services firm that supports Japanese companies through IPO preparation and corporate governance. Its central offering is IPO consulting — including pre-IPO short reviews, internal control design, and listing application support — supplemented by accounting/tax advisory, M&A due diligence, business valuation, corporate restructuring, and J-SOX implementation consulting. Team members also serve as outside audit committee members (社外監査役) on client boards, extending the firm's role from advisor to governance participant.

Product overview

Accounting-Assist is a professional services firm offering a portfolio of consulting and advisory services centered on IPO preparation and corporate governance support. The core offerings include IPO consulting (the central business), short review services for gap analysis, accounting and tax advisory, business valuation, M&A due diligence, corporate restructuring, J-SOX internal control implementation, and seminar services. The firm operates as a service-based consulting practice rather than a software product company, with services delivered through consulting contracts, tax advisory engagements, and part-time audit committee member appointments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• IPO Consulting Core advisory service supporting Japanese companies through the IPO process, covering pre-IPO preparation, preparation roadmaps, internal control design, listing application document preparation (I-BU, II-BU), IPO examination response (IPO審査対応), and IR disclosure support. Targets companies 3-5 years before target listing on TSE or JASDAQ, and serves as the firm's central business.
• Short Review Service Field-based short review service providing 2-3 day on-site surveys to identify current issues and challenges in a company's IPO preparation, helping management understand gaps against IPO requirements. Delivered at a reasonable price compared to major audit firms, targeting venture and early-stage companies that cannot afford full audit engagements.
• Accounting and Tax Advisory Ongoing accounting and tax advisory retainer service acting as trusted advisor (顧問会計士) to client companies. Supports companies with financial statement preparation, tax compliance, and the build-out of repeatable year-end closing and audit-response processes. Typically structured as annual retainer contracts supplementing or replacing traditional tax-only advisors.
• Business Valuation and Stock Price Assessment Business and stock valuation service used for IPO preparation companies' capital policy planning, corporate reorganization, and M&A transactions. Delivers stock value assessments that feed into listing decisions, share issuance, and restructuring transactions.
• M&A Due Diligence Due diligence service focusing on financial and tax aspects to identify and mitigate risks in M&A transactions. Billed per engagement and supports acquirers and investors in pre-deal risk identification.
• Corporate Restructuring and Business Succession Consulting Consulting for group reorganization, business consolidation, and owner-led business succession. May include success-based fee arrangements such as stock options for growing companies. Supports clients in rationalizing group structures and transitioning ownership.
• J-SOX Implementation Consulting

Quantifiable outcome

• 30+ IPO engagements completed since 1996 by representative Jun Motai alone
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, key and minor.

• チームIPO (Team IPO Consortium)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA multi-disciplinary IPO consortium co-founded and operated by Accounting-Assist, bringing together CPAs, lawyers, securities firms, banks, and VC representatives. Team IPO members collaboratively support IPO clients and co-host seminars at stock exchanges (Sapporo, Fukuoka, Tokyo). The consortium serves as a key GTM channel for Accounting-Assist, enabling cross-referrals across professional disciplines.
• 札幌証券取引所 (Sapporo Securities Exchange)keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-host of IPO seminars at the Sapporo Securities Exchange. The exchange partners with Team IPO members including Accounting-Assist to deliver educational content for listed and pre-listed companies in the Hokkaido region.
• グロースアシスト (Growth Assist)keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosted the 2019 Fukuoka IPO seminar jointly with Growth Assist. Growth Assist is a local professional services firm in Fukuoka collaborating with Accounting-Assist through the Team IPO framework.
• TAC株式会社 (TAC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccounting-Assist delivered a public seminar at TAC Shibuya School in April 2013 titled 'How to navigate year-end closing and smooth audit response.' TAC, a major accounting and finance education company, provides the venue and student network.
• 株式会社RexアドバイザーズminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInterview collaboration with Rex Advisers, a specialist in placing CPA and tax advisor talent. The interview was published on Venture Tsushin highlighting career paths in IPO advisory. Rex Advisers also has Jun Motai serving as outside audit committee member.
• KBC実行委員会 (Keio Business Contest)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerAccounting-Assist has co-sponsored the KBC Business Plan Contest organized by Keio University students since 2009, with representatives serving as judges and mentors. This supports the firm's venture ecosystem engagement and branding.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Ernst & Young ShinNihon LLC: One of Japan's Big-4 audit and advisory firms with established IPO advisory, J-SOX implementation, and listing examination support. Competes in the same IPO preparation market with broader scale and resources.
• Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu LLC (Japan): One of Japan's Big-4 firms with a full-service IPO advisory, audit, tax, and consulting practice. Serves IPO candidates across multiple exchanges and competes for the same pre-IPO pipeline as Accounting-Assist.
• PwC Japan Group: One of Japan's Big-4 firms providing IPO readiness, audit, and corporate finance advisory. Partner Kazutaka Mori previously worked at Chuo Aoyama PwC Consulting, making PwC a parallel talent and capability comparable.
• KPMG AZSA LLC: One of Japan's Big-4 audit and advisory firms — the corporate disclosure department of Asahi Audit Corporation (now KPMG AZSA) is where Accounting-Assist's founder Jun Motai developed his IPO expertise. Offers a broad portfolio of IPO preparation, audit, and corporate finance services.

Direct peers

• Sun & Partners (サン共同監査法人): Japanese mid-sized accounting firm with established IPO advisory practice serving venture and growth-stage companies. Comparable in targeting pre-IPO companies priced out of Big-4 fees with boutique-level service.
• Growth Assist (グロースアシスト): Fukuoka-based professional services firm co-hosting IPO seminars with Accounting-Assist through the Team IPO framework. Provides comparable IPO preparation and venture advisory services to companies in the Kyushu region.
• Frontier Management: Japanese boutique advisory firm offering IPO preparation, M&A advisory, and corporate finance consulting. Direct comparable to Accounting-Assist in serving venture and pre-IPO companies with similar client profile and service mix.

Others

• Mori Hamada & Matsumoto (森・濱田松本法律事務所): Leading Japanese law firm with a prominent IPO legal advisory practice. Member of the Team IPO consortium alongside Accounting-Assist, providing legal counsel on listing examinations and cross-referring IPO clients.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Accounting-Assist