Tencent is the Chinese technology conglomerate that owns WeChat and is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
Tencent was founded in 1998 by Ma Huateng and several partners. Its early success came from QQ, an instant-messaging service, while WeChat later became a central mobile platform combining messaging, payments, social features, and other services.
Tencent also operates major businesses in online games, digital content, advertising, cloud computing, and financial technology. It has invested in or partnered with many companies in the global games industry, making its influence broader than its consumer apps alone.
Tencent’s shares trade in Hong Kong under the stock code 700. Like other large technology companies, its market capitalization changes with earnings, regulation, currency movements, and investor expectations. The company is sometimes confused with Alibaba, but Alibaba is primarily associated with e-commerce and cloud services rather than WeChat.