SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA / RankWire.AI / – According to Brand Finance’s latest technology ranking, Samsung Group’s brand worth increased to US$97.4 billion in 2026. This figure reflects an 8.9% rise from US$89.4 billion in 2025. Samsung secured the eighth position among the world’s most valuable technology brands, one place lower than last year. It remains the sole South Korean brand in the top 10 globally. This ranking keeps Samsung aligned with the industry’s leading names in international technology markets.
The aggregate value of the top 100 technology brands grew by 15%, reaching US$3.7 trillion, up from US$3.2 trillion a year earlier. Apple, Microsoft, and Google maintained their top three spots. Nvidia advanced to fifth place after its brand value more than doubled to US$184.3 billion. This surge caused Samsung to drop one position despite its higher valuation. US-based firms continued to dominate the overall ranking’s total value.
South Korea has five brands on the global list, with a combined brand value of US$135.3 billion, representing an 8% increase from 2025. This places South Korea third, behind the US and China. SK hynix ranked 28th with a valuation of US$15.8 billion. LG was 44th at US$9.6 billion. Coupang reached US$8.8 billion, and Naver was 95th with a value of US$3.7 billion.
Semiconductor segment bolsters Samsung’s brand valuation
Brand Finance highlighted Samsung’s dominance in memory chips and semiconductors as a key factor in its brand value growth. The report also emphasized the increasing demand for advanced memory solutions. Samsung’s operations span smartphones, televisions, home appliances, semiconductors, and digital services, providing a presence across both consumer and enterprise technology markets. The US$97.4 billion figure represents the economic value of the brand alone, not its market capitalization, annual revenue, or physical assets.
The valuation is determined through a royalty relief approach, which assesses marketing investments, customer perception, and business performance to assign a brand strength score. Analysts then apply a royalty rate to forecasted brand-related revenue, discounting the after-tax earnings to derive the present value. This methodology adheres to the ISO 10668 standard for monetary brand valuation, estimating the potential earnings from licensing the brand on the open market.
Concentration persists in global tech rankings
Seven companies in the technology sector secured spots within the top 10 of the broader Global 500 list. Apple continued to hold the title of the most valuable brand worldwide, with Microsoft in second place. The Technology 100 also saw significant gains among chipmakers and AI infrastructure firms, with Nvidia leading that segment, followed by Broadcom and AMD, identified as the fastest-growing brands. Together, Apple, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon accounted for nearly 70% of the total value of the Technology 100 index.
Samsung contributed around 72% of the combined valuation of South Korea’s five ranked technology brands. Its US$97.4 billion valuation surpassed their total of US$37.9 billion. The other brands included SK hynix, LG, Coupang, and Naver. Samsung’s eighth-place ranking remains the key part of South Korea’s third-place national ranking. The 2026 figures also reflect another year of growth in Samsung’s brand value, despite slipping one position in the global standings.