One of China’s most popular online platforms for English-language education can finally count deep-pocketed tech giant Tencent among its investors.

VIPKid announced the news Tuesday via its public account on social app WeChat. Though the post did not state the value of Tencent’s investment, The Wall Street Journal reported in September that a deal expected to raise $150 million and bring VIPKid’s valuation to $4.5 billion was in the works, citing sources familiar with the matter.

Founded in Beijing in 2013, VIPKid connects English tutors, most of whom are in North America, with paying students, most of whom are in China. As of August, VIPKid had more than 700,000 students and over 90,000 teachers registered with its platform, according to the announcement.

VIPKid made headlines earlier this year when The Walt Disney Co. denied a series of Chinese media reports claiming that VIPKid customers would receive access to Disney’s own English-education series amid rumors of a future partnership between the two companies. Last year, VIPKid announced that it planned to expand its services to 100 countries and revealed that it had partnered with Scholastic — the publisher of the “Harry Potter” series — to introduce the popular fantasy novels to its members.

Foreigners working as English teachers in China — sometimes legally, sometimes not — fell under scrutiny this summer. In July, the Ministry of Education mandated that all online language-teaching platforms operating in China must disclose their teachers’ real names, relevant qualifications, and employment histories. (Image: VCG)