Tencent is the parent company of the social networks WeChat and QQ.
Tencent Holdings is a Chinese technology conglomerate founded in Shenzhen in 1998. Its businesses include social networking, online games, digital payments, cloud computing, music, video, and other internet services. Tencent’s scale and diversified operations have made it one of the world’s most valuable publicly traded companies.
QQ was an early internet messaging service that helped establish Tencent in China. WeChat, known in China as Weixin, was introduced in 2011 and grew into a multifunctional platform combining messaging, social features, payments, mini-programs, and other services. Tencent also owns or invests in major game studios and publishers.
Tencent is sometimes confused with Alibaba because both are major Chinese technology companies. Alibaba is primarily associated with e-commerce and cloud services, while Tencent is especially associated with social platforms, games, and digital content. Both companies are separately listed and have different corporate histories.