Tencent, one of China's largest technology companies by market value, was founded in 1998. Ma Huateng, Zhang Zhidong, Xu Cheney, Chen Yidan, and Zeng Liqing established the company in Shenzhen, China.
Tencent's first major product was OICQ, an instant-messaging service launched in 1999. It was later renamed QQ after a trademark dispute involving the name ICQ. QQ became one of China's most widely used online communication services and helped establish Tencent's consumer internet business.
The company later expanded into online games, digital payments, social networking, music, cloud computing, and investments in other technology businesses. WeChat, known in China as Weixin, was launched in 2011 and became a central mobile communications and services platform.
Tencent's name is sometimes confused with a single product such as QQ or WeChat. Those are important services, but Tencent is the broader corporation. Its headquarters remain in Shenzhen, a major technology center in southern China.