MEHOW BIG IS TENCENT?

The Silent Tech Giant Taking Over the World

- Sandesh Bhosle

When it comes to tech giants, some names instantly come to mind - Google, Apple, Amazon. However, one company, Tencent, is perhaps lesser-known yet holds a level of influence that rivals them all. Founded in China, Tencent has grown into a powerhouse that touches nearly every corner of the tech industry, from social media and gaming to cloud computing and beyond. Tencent began from a little-known startup in the late ‘90s to a globally influential entity worth hundreds of billions. Let’s get into the roots, growth, and impact of one of the largest – and perhaps most under-the-radar – tech titans the world has ever seen.

The Beginnings

Tencent’s journey began in 1998, a year when the internet was barely on China’s radar. Ma Huateng (known as Pony Ma) and Zhang Zhidong, former classmates with a shared dream, started the company with a single idea - to bring real-time communication to Chinese users. Their vision was inspired by ICQ, an Israeli-developed instant messaging service that had taken off in the West. Driven by this concept, they launched their own messaging app called “OICQ” (Open ICQ), which was free and easy to use.