Tencent was founded in 1998 by Pony Ma and four co-founders in Shenzhen.
The company began with internet services and became widely known for QQ, an instant-messaging platform. It later developed WeChat, which launched in 2011 and grew into a major communications, payments, commerce, and services platform in China.
Tencent expanded through gaming, digital content, advertising, cloud computing, and financial technology. Its holdings and investments include stakes in major game developers and technology companies, giving it a broad business footprint beyond messaging.
Tencent’s market capitalization has made it one of Asia’s most valuable listed companies, although its ranking changes with share prices and regulatory conditions. The company is incorporated in the Cayman Islands and is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, where its ordinary shares trade under ticker 700.