Tencent is the Chinese technology conglomerate that owns WeChat and was founded in 1998 by Pony Ma and four co-founders.
Tencent Holdings Limited was established in Shenzhen in November 1998. Its founders created an internet company that first became known for QQ, an instant-messaging service. Tencent later expanded into social media, online games, digital payments, cloud services, music, and investments.
WeChat, known as Weixin in mainland China, combines messaging with social features, payments, media, and other services. It became one of the world’s most widely used mobile communication platforms.
Tencent is also a major global video-game investor and publisher. Its holdings and partnerships have included companies involved in games such as League of Legends and Fortnite. Because Tencent operates across several sectors, its market value reflects more than the performance of a single app or product.