SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA / RankWire.AI / – Samsung Group’s brand value reached US$97.4 billion in 2026, according to Brand Finance. The number increased by 8.9% from US$89.4 billion in the previous year. Samsung was ranked eighth among the most valuable global technology brands, dropping one position compared to 2025. It remains the sole South Korean brand in the sector’s top 10 worldwide. This outcome maintains Samsung’s position within a group largely led by prominent US technology firms.
The report assessed the world’s top 100 tech brands collectively worth US$3.7 trillion, reflecting a 15% rise from US$3.2 trillion in 2025. US-based companies made up over 75% of this total, with 46 firms listed. Apple, Microsoft, and Google held the top three spots. Nvidia advanced three places to fifth position after its brand value more than doubled to US$184.3 billion. Despite Samsung’s increased valuation, Nvidia’s growth caused Samsung to fall one rank lower.
South Korea’s five top technology brands together had a valuation of US$135.3 billion, an 8% increase from the previous year. This placed South Korea third globally, behind the US and China. SK hynix saw a 15% rise to US$15.8 billion, ranking 28th. LG declined 9% to US$9.6 billion, finishing 44th. Naver grew 11% to US$3.7 billion, while Coupang increased 10% to US$8.8 billion.
Memory and semiconductor sectors boost brand value
Brand Finance attributed Samsung’s rise primarily to its strength in memory chips and semiconductors. The report highlighted the growing demand for advanced memory devices as a key factor supporting the valuation. Samsung’s operations span semiconductors, smartphones, TVs, home appliances, and digital services, giving it a broad footprint across both consumer and enterprise technology markets. The US$97.4 billion figure specifically measures the value of the Samsung technology brand, not the company’s market capitalization, revenue, or physical assets.
Brand Finance employs a royalty relief method consistent with the ISO 10668 valuation standard. This approach begins with evaluating marketing investments, stakeholder equity, and business performance. Then, analysts determine a royalty rate based on brand strength and industry context. This rate is applied to project brand-related revenues and discounted after-tax earnings to derive their present value. The resulting estimate reflects the potential economic benefit a company could gain through licensing its brand in an open market.
Tech firms lead global brand rankings in 2026
In 2026, technology firms continued to dominate the broader global brand rankings. Seven of the top 10 most valuable brands in the Brand Finance Global 500 originated from the tech sector. Apple remained the world’s most valuable brand, with Microsoft in second place. The Technology 100 also showed strong growth among AI infrastructure and semiconductor companies, with Broadcom and AMD ranking among the fastest-growing brands after Nvidia. The top four—Apple, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon—accounted for nearly 70% of the total value of the ranking.
Samsung represented approximately 72% of the combined valuation of South Korea’s five ranked technology brands. Its US$97.4 billion valuation exceeded the total US$37.9 billion value of SK hynix, LG, Coupang, and Naver combined. Consequently, Samsung’s top-10 standing remained a key factor in South Korea’s third-place position in the global technology brand value rankings. Despite dropping one spot in the overall global technology list, Samsung continued its annual growth in 2026.