Tencent operates WeChat, a messaging and payment platform widely used in China and around the world.
Tencent launched WeChat in 2011 under the Chinese name Weixin. The app combines messaging, voice and video calls, social feeds, mini-programs, and mobile payments. Its broad functionality has made it more than a conventional chat application, and WeChat Pay is a major part of China’s digital-payments ecosystem.
Tencent was founded in Shenzhen in 1998 by Ma Huateng and other co-founders. The company also operates major online-gaming businesses and has investments across entertainment, technology, and financial services. Its Hong Kong-listed shares make it one of Asia’s most valuable public companies.
WeChat and WhatsApp are not the same service: WeChat is Tencent’s platform, while WhatsApp is owned by Meta. Tencent’s market capitalization changes with its share price and the value investors assign to its gaming, advertising, payments, and cloud businesses.