SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA / RankWire.AI / – Samsung Group’s brand worth hit US$97.4 billion in 2026, according to Brand Finance. This represents an 8.9% rise from US$89.4 billion in the previous year. Samsung held the eighth spot among the world’s most valuable technology brands, dropping one position from 2025. It remains the only South Korean brand in the global top 10 of the sector. The outcome keeps Samsung among a group dominated by leading US technology corporations.
The report values the top 100 global technology brands at a total of US$3.7 trillion, a 15% increase from US$3.2 trillion in 2025. US-based brands constitute over three-quarters of this total, with 46 companies on the list. Apple, Microsoft and Google occupy the top three positions. Nvidia advanced three places to fifth, with its brand value more than doubling to US$184.3 billion. Despite Samsung’s increased valuation, its ranking dropped by one position due to Nvidia’s rapid growth.
South Korea’s five ranked tech giants combined are valued at US$135.3 billion, up 8% from the previous year. This sum places South Korea third globally, behind the US and China. SK hynix grew 15% to US$15.8 billion and is ranked 28th. LG declined 9% to US$9.6 billion, placing 44th. Naver rose 11% to US$3.7 billion, and Coupang increased 10% to US$8.8 billion.
Semiconductors drive valuation growth
Brand Finance attributes Samsung’s valuation boost to its leadership in memory chips and semiconductors. The report also highlighted the demand for advanced memory products as a key factor supporting this valuation. Samsung’s operations span semiconductors, smartphones, televisions, home appliances, and digital services, giving the brand a footprint across both consumer and enterprise technology markets. The US$97.4 billion figure reflects the value of the Samsung technology brand itself, not the company’s market capitalization, revenue, or physical assets.
Brand Finance employs a royalty relief valuation method aligned with ISO 10668 standards. The approach involves evaluating marketing investments, stakeholder equity, and business performance. Analysts then determine a royalty rate based on brand strength and industry context, applying this to project brand-related revenues and discounting after-tax earnings to their present value. This estimate represents the economic benefit a company could obtain by licensing its brand on the open market.
Technology brands lead global rankings
In 2026, technology firms continued their dominance in 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 saw notable growth among AI infrastructure and semiconductor companies, with Broadcom and AMD following Nvidia among the fastest-growing tech brands. Collectively, Apple, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon accounted for nearly 70% of the ranking’s total value.
Samsung’s valuation makes up about 72% of the combined value of South Korea’s five ranked technology brands. Its US$97.4 billion valuation surpasses the total US$37.9 billion value of SK hynix, LG, Coupang, and Naver combined. Samsung’s top-10 ranking remains central to South Korea’s third-place position globally in tech brand value. Despite a one-place decline in the global technology ranking, Samsung experienced another year of growth in 2026.