Tencent is the Chinese technology company that operates WeChat and was founded in 1998 by Pony Ma and Zhang Zhidong. It began with the instant-messaging service QQ and expanded into games, payments, cloud computing, music, and social media.
WeChat, known as Weixin in mainland China, launched in 2011 and grew into an “everything app” combining messaging, public accounts, payments, and mini-programs. Tencent also publishes major games and holds investments in companies worldwide.
Its diversified businesses have made Tencent one of Asia's largest companies by market capitalization. The company is listed in Hong Kong, so its market value is commonly quoted in Hong Kong dollars or converted to U.S. dollars.