Tencent launched WeChat in 2011 and became one of China’s largest publicly traded technology companies.
WeChat was developed by Tencent’s Guangzhou research team and first released in January 2011. It began as a mobile messaging service and expanded into voice calls, video calls, payments, social media, mini-programs, and other services. In China, the app is known as Weixin.
Tencent was founded in 1998 by Pony Ma and other co-founders. Its broader business includes online games, digital content, advertising, cloud services, and financial technology. Tencent also owns or invests in companies across the global games industry.
The company’s large user base and diversified digital businesses helped it become a frequent fixture near the top of Asian market-capitalization rankings. WeChat is a product of Tencent, not an independent publicly listed company.