# tencent Tencent is a Chinese multinational technology conglomerate headquartered in Shenzhen, founded in 1998, known for WeChat, QQ, and major video game investments, and active in artificial intelligence. Tencent (Chinese: 腾讯; pinyin: Téngxùn) is a Chinese multinational technology conglomerate and holding company headquartered in Shenzhen. Founded in 1998, it is one of the highest-grossing multimedia companies globally and the world's largest video game company by equity investments. Its services span social networks, messaging, gaming, payments, and artificial intelligence, with subsidiaries operating worldwide. The associated stock-market-listed variable interest entity, Tencent Holdings Ltd, is incorporated in the Cayman Islands. Tencent's twin-skyscraper headquarters, Tencent Seafront Towers (also known as Tencent Binhai Mansion), are in Nanshan District, Shenzhen. In December 2023, architect Büro Ole Scheeren unveiled the helix-inspired design for Tencent's new global headquarters, Tencent Helix, which will accommodate over 23,000 employees across nearly 500,000 square meters. ## History and founding Tencent was founded in November 1998 by Pony Ma, Zhang Zhidong, Xu Chenye, Charles Chen, and Zeng Liqing. The name "Tencent" derives from its Chinese name Tengxun (腾讯), incorporating part of Pony Ma's Chinese name (Ma Huateng) and meaning "galloping fast information." Initial venture capital funding supported early operations. In February 1999, the messenger product OICQ was released, later renamed QQ, reportedly due to a lawsuit threat from ICQ and its owner AOL. The company remained unprofitable for its first three years. In 2001, South African media company Naspers purchased a 46.5% share; as of 2023, it holds 26.16% through Prosus, which also owns stakes in other companies like OLX, VK, and Stack Overflow. Tencent Holdings Ltd listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on 16 June 2004 and became a Hang Seng Index Constituent Stock in 2008. Initially, Tencent derived income from advertising and premium QQ users. By 2005, revenue streams included QQ mobile services and licensing its penguin character. By 2008, virtual goods sales drove profit growth. In June 2007, Tencent established its charity foundation, the first Chinese internet company to do so. ## Expansion and investments Tencent entered online gaming in 2004, but around 2007-2008 it rapidly expanded by licensing games like Crossfire and Dungeon Fighter Online from South Korean developers, later developing its own titles. On 21 January 2011, Tencent launched Weixin (微信), now branded WeChat, a "super app" with over 1 billion monthly active users. In February 2011, Tencent acquired a 92.78% stake in Riot Games, developer of League of Legends, for about US$230 million, having held 22.34% since 2008; the remaining equity was bought in December 2015. In June 2012, Tencent acquired a minority stake in Epic Games, creator of Fortnite and Unreal. That year, it also acquired ZAM Network, parent of Wowhead. Tencent increased its stake in Kingsoft Network Technology to 18% in 2013, invested $448 million in search engine Sogou.com, and participated in Activision Blizzard's split from Vivendi as a passive investor. In 2014, Tencent invested in China South City Holdings, Dianping, JD.com, CJ Games, 58.com, and China LotSynergy Holdings, among others. ## Artificial intelligence and technology Tencent's AI research focuses on [AI](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/artificial-intelligence), [machine-learning](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/machine-learning), and [large language models](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/large-language-model). Its AI lab has appeared on LMArena leaderboards, indicating active participation in benchmarking [generative AI](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/generative-ai) systems. Tencent applies AI across its products, including WeChat, gaming, and cloud services, though specific details of its AI models are not widely publicized. Tencent's technology portfolio includes [deep-learning](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/deep-learning) and [neural networks](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/neural-network), with applications in natural language processing and computer vision. The company's AI efforts align with broader industry trends, drawing on research from institutions like [stanford-ai-lab](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/stanford-ai-lab) and [mit-csail](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/mit-csail), though Tencent conducts its own proprietary research. ## Global presence and market position Tencent is the world's largest video game vendor and one of the largest companies by market capitalization in China. In 2018, it surpassed US$500 billion in market value, the first Asian technology company to do so. As of February 2022, it was the world's tenth most valuable company. In 2015, 2018, and 2020, Boston Consulting Group and Fast Company ranked it among the 50 most innovative companies worldwide. Tencent has stakes in over 600 companies, focusing on tech startups in Asia since 2017. Its investment strategy, characterized by TechCrunch, lets portfolio startups operate autonomously. Tencent's valuation approached US$1 trillion in January 2021 before declining, but recovered as of November 2025. Tencent Holdings ranked 35th on the 2023 Forbes Global 2000 list. ## Products and services Tencent operates instant messengers Tencent QQ and WeChat, along with the news site QQ.com. Its services include social networks, music, web portals, e-commerce, mobile games, internet services, payment systems, smartphones, and multiplayer online games. The company's gaming portfolio includes titles like League of Legends and Fortnite through its investments. WeChat serves as a central platform for messaging, payments, and mini-programs, making it a cornerstone of Tencent's ecosystem. Tencent's AI initiatives, including its lab on LMArena, position it among global AI players, though it competes with companies like [openai](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/openai) and [google-deepmind](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/google-deepmind) in research, while focusing on integrating AI into its consumer and enterprise products. --- Source: https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/tencent License: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Last updated: 2026-09-05T13:21:10.731584+00:00