Google map
Taichiro Motoe
Has a Dream
Motivation for Founding the Company
When I was in my sophomore year at university, I bought a used car with the money I had saved from my part-time job. At the time, money was tight, and I was hesitant to take out voluntary insurance. Then, as bad luck would have it, I caused a traffic accident. It was an accident between two cars, with property damage, but no life-threatening injuries on either side. While I didn't really have a full grasp of the situation, the other car suffered significant damage, and the owner demanded that I accept full responsibility for the accident and compensate them for 100% of the damages. Of course, I didn't have the money to pay compensation, and I was at a loss what to do. But on the advice of my mother, who couldn't bear to see me in such a situation, I was able to consult with a nearby lawyer. The lawyer told me plainly that the other party was also at fault, so the ratio of responsibility should be 70%: 30%. I was semi-doubtful, but when I told the other driver about it, they readily accepted the 70%: 30% ratio.
Simply by being able to consult with a lawyer, I was able to regain some peace of mind and composure, and most importantly I was able to lower the amount of compensation to an appropriate level. I can still clearly remember how he was like a hero to me at the time, and how I was impressed, thinking, "How wonderful lawyers are, to be able to help people in need..." That was the formative experience that inspired me to become a lawyer.
At the same time, the experience also made me realize how unapproachable lawyers are. At that time, many law firms refused first-time clients. Could I actually consult with a lawyer about a car accident? Where could I even go to see a lawyer in the first place? And most of all, how much would it all cost? I didn't know if I would be able to pay, and I was scared about even talking to a lawyer at all. I remember being very nervous.
Making Professionals More Accessible
After graduating from university, I passed the bar exam and started working at a law firm. But my feeling at that time—asking myself, "Isn't there some way we can lower the threshold for people to consult with lawyers?"—never went away. And so the company now called Bengo4.com was born. At the time of our founding, our mission was "Helping Specialists to be Closer." Today, we have expanded with new businesses such as CloudSign, and this slogan is no longer used as a company-wide mission statement, but it is still an important part of our identity within the company.
What is Professional Tech?
Based on my own experiences, I believe that the knowledge and know-how of those referred to as "professionals" have tremendous possibilities, and the power to help people. Of course, this is not limited to just lawyers. From tax accountants to social workers and engineers, from doctors and nurses to pharmacists, all professionals who are active in their respective fields have professional knowledge, skills, and know-how which are useful to others. I also believe that many of these things are very compatible with technologies such as AI and IT. We call this "professional tech." While on one hand professional tech has great value, on the other hand it also poses a problem, in that it is too difficult for ordinary people to understand and handle effectively. Of course, professional tech is "professional" precisely because it cannot be handled easily by ordinary people. I think there is something that we can do to help in this area. As a tech company, we can make effective use of these technologies, and make hard-to-handle professional fields more accessible for everyone. Bengo4.com was founded in 2005. Over the past 20 years, I am proud to say that we have succeeded in making the professional knowledge and skills of lawyers and tax accountants a little more accessible. Using the experience and know-how we have gained over that period, I would like us to make various other professionals—aside from just lawyers—more accessible to the general public through the use of technology.
Pulling Dreams Toward Reality
Lastly, I would like to say that I always try to dream, because I believe that dreaming is the first step toward reality. When I first set my sights on becoming a lawyer, when I
quit my job at a law firm to start my own business, and when I aimed to become a politician while still running a company... I think that people around me probably thought I was a
dreamer. Naturally, each time I had the support of my friends and family who believed in my dreams, understood them, and supported me. Without them, all my dreams would have ended
as just that... dreams. Even so, I was able to become a lawyer in 2001. In 2016, I was successfully elected to the House of Councillors for the first time, and in 2020 I was able
to serve as Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Finance. In 2014, we were able to list Bengo4.com on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Mothers market.
So, I will say once again, I think it's okay to start with a dream. From a faint dream, we pull toward reality. And of course, my dreams still know no limits. Going forward, I will
work to grow the company more, and we will continue to contribute even more to society.
Move the world forward by an unprecedented method.
I hope for your continued support of Bengo4.com.
Thank you for reading through to the end.
Founding President & CEO, Bengo4.com
Lawyer
Taichiro Motoe
