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Tencent

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Tencent is a huge technology company from China.

Tencent Beijing Office (20220503093228)
Tencent Beijing Office (20220503093228)

It is based in a city called Shenzhen. This company is one of the most successful in the world for making money. It is also the largest company in the video game industry. This is because it has investments in many other game makers.

Riot Games Headquarters
Riot Games Headquarters

Tencent is a leader in many areas like social media and artificial intelligence. It is even one of the largest companies for venture capital. This means it helps fund new businesses.

Tencent works by offering many different digital services to people. It runs instant messenger apps like QQ and WeChat. WeChat is often called a "super app" because it does so much. It helps people use social networks and listen to music. People can also use it for shopping or paying for things. The company also makes mobile games and news websites.

Pony Ma 2011
Pony Ma 2011

It even started WeBank, which is an online-only bank in China.

The company began in November 1998. Five people started it: Pony Ma, Zhang Zhidong, Xu Chenye, Charles Chen, and Zeng Liqing. The name Tencent comes from its Chinese name, Tengxun. This name means "galloping fast information." At first, the company did not make a profit. It grew by selling ads and special items for users. In 2004, the company joined the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

Riot Games Headquarters
Riot Games Headquarters

This helped the business become much larger.

Tencent has reached many big milestones over the years. In 2018, it became the first Asian tech company worth US$500 billion. By February 2022, it was the tenth most valuable company in the world. It has stakes in more than 600 different companies. In 2011, it bought a large part of Riot Games for US$230 million. It also bought a part of Supercell for US$8.6 billion in 2016. These numbers show how much the company has grown.

You might recognize Tencent through the games you play. They own parts of famous makers like Epic Games and Riot Games. They have helped bring games like League of Legends to more people. You might also see their influence in how people talk online. Apps like WeChat connect over one billion people every month. Even the buildings they use are special. They are building a new headquarters called Tencent Helix in Shenzhen.

Tencent Beijing Office (20220503093228)
Tencent Beijing Office (20220503093228)

This building will hold over 23,000 employees.

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🖼️ Images & Media (5)
File:BYD Song Max facelift.jpg
BYD Song Max facelift.jpg
File:Tencent Beijing Office (20220503093228).jpg
Tencent Beijing Office (20220503093228).jpg
File:Riot Games Headquarters.jpg
Riot Games Headquarters.jpg
File:Pony Ma 2011.jpg
Pony Ma 2011.jpg
File:Martin Lau.jpg
Martin Lau.jpg
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