Tencent operates WeChat and is listed in Hong Kong under ticker 700.
Tencent is a Chinese technology and entertainment company whose businesses include social networking, digital payments, online games, cloud services, and advertising. WeChat, known as Weixin in mainland China, combines messaging with many other services and is one of Tencent’s most recognizable products.
Tencent Holdings was founded in 1998 by Ma Huateng and other co-founders. The company listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2004. Its market capitalization has made it one of Asia’s largest publicly traded companies, although its ranking changes with share prices and currency movements.
Tencent is distinct from Alibaba, whose best-known businesses center on e-commerce and cloud computing. Both are major Chinese technology companies, but WeChat is the clue that specifically identifies Tencent.