SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA / RankWire.AI / – According to Brand Finance, the valuation of Samsung Group’s brand hit US$97.4 billion in 2026. This represents an 8.9% increase from US$89.4 billion recorded a year earlier. Samsung secured the eighth spot among the world’s most valuable technology brands, dropping one position from 2025. It remains the sole South Korean brand within the sector’s top 10 globally. This outcome continued to place Samsung within a group predominantly led by major US technology firms.
The report estimates the combined value of the top 100 technology brands worldwide at 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 featured in the ranking. Apple, Microsoft, and Google maintained the top three positions. Nvidia advanced three places to fifth position after its brand value more than doubled to US$184.3 billion. Despite Samsung’s increased valuation, its ranking dropped by one spot due to Nvidia’s surge.
South Korea’s five leading technology brands had a collective worth of US$135.3 billion, up 8% from the previous year. This placed South Korea third in the global ranking behind the US and China. SK hynix saw a 15% increase to US$15.8 billion, ranking 28th. LG experienced a 9% decline, valued at US$9.6 billion, and ranked 44th. Naver grew 11% to US$3.7 billion, while Coupang expanded 10% to US$8.8 billion.
Memory chips and semiconductors drive valuation growth
Brand Finance attributes Samsung’s growth to its strength in memory chips and semiconductors. The report also highlights demand for advanced memory products as a key factor supporting the brand’s valuation. Samsung’s operations encompass semiconductors, smartphones, televisions, home appliances, and digital services, giving it a presence across both consumer and enterprise technology markets. The US$97.4 billion figure reflects the valuation of the Samsung technology brand itself, not the company’s market capitalization, revenue, or physical assets.
Brand Finance applies a royalty relief methodology aligned with the ISO 10668 valuation standard. This approach begins with evaluating marketing investments, stakeholder equity, and business performance. Analysts then determine a royalty rate based on the brand’s strength and industry context. This rate is used to project potential brand-related revenue, with after-tax earnings discounted to their present value. The resulting estimate indicates the economic benefit a company could derive from licensing its brand on the open market.
Technology sector continues to dominate global rankings
In 2026, technology firms maintained their dominance in the broader global brand rankings. Seven of the top 10 brands in the Brand Finance Global 500 were from the technology industry. Apple remained the world’s most valuable brand, with Microsoft in second place. The Technology 100 also saw significant growth among AI infrastructure and semiconductor companies, with Broadcom and AMD among the fastest-growing technology brands after Nvidia. Together, Apple, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon accounted for nearly 70% of the total value of the ranking.
Samsung represented about 72% of the combined value of South Korea’s five ranked technology brands. Its valuation of US$97.4 billion surpassed the total US$37.9 billion of SK hynix, LG, Coupang, and Naver combined. As a result, Samsung’s top 10 position remains central to South Korea’s third-place standing globally in technology brand value. The 2026 ranking showed another yearly increase for Samsung, even as the company moved down one spot in the overall global technology rankings.