SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA / RankWire.AI / – According to Brand Finance, the brand value of Samsung Group’s reached US$97.4 billion in 2026. This represents an 8.9% increase from US$89.4 billion the previous year. Samsung was ranked eighth among the world’s most valuable technology brands, dropping one position from 2025. It remains the only South Korean brand listed within the sector’s top 10 globally. This outcome keeps Samsung among a group mainly led by prominent US technology corporations.
The report evaluated the top 100 technology brands worldwide at a combined value of US$3.7 trillion, marking a 15% growth from US$3.2 trillion in 2025. US-based brands made up more than 75% of this total, with 46 companies on the list. Apple, Microsoft, and Google maintained the top three spots. Nvidia advanced three ranks to fifth place after its brand value more than doubled to US$184.3 billion. Despite Samsung’s increased valuation, its position slipped by one due to Nvidia’s surge.
South Korea’s five leading technology brands combined to reach a total value of US$135.3 billion, up 8% from the previous year. This sum places South Korea third globally, behind the US and China. SK hynix increased its valuation by 15% to US$15.8 billion, ranking 28th. LG’s value declined by 9% to US$9.6 billion, placing it at 44th. Naver saw an 11% rise to US$3.7 billion, while Coupang grew 10% to US$8.8 billion.
Semiconductor Sector Boosts Brand Valuation
Brand Finance attributed Samsung’s growth to its strong position in memory chips and semiconductors. The report also highlighted demand for advanced memory products as a key factor supporting its valuation. Samsung’s operations span semiconductors, smartphones, televisions, home appliances, and digital services. These sectors give the brand a presence across both consumer and business technology markets. The US$97.4 billion valuation reflects the brand’s value as a technology entity, not its market capitalization, revenue, or physical assets.
Brand Finance employs a royalty relief method aligned with the ISO 10668 valuation standard. The process begins with evaluating marketing investments, stakeholder equity, and business performance. Then, analysts determine a royalty rate based on the brand’s strength and the industry. This rate is applied to project brand-related revenue and discount after-tax earnings to their current value. The resulting estimate signifies the economic advantage a company could gain by licensing its brand publicly.
Tech Giants Dominate Global Brand Rankings
In 2026, technology firms continued to lead the broader global brand rankings. Seven of the top 10 most valuable brands in the Brand Finance Global 500 came from the technology sector. Apple remained the world’s most valuable brand, with Microsoft in second place. The Technology 100 also experienced significant growth among artificial intelligence infrastructure and semiconductor companies. Broadcom and AMD were among the fastest-growing tech brands, following Nvidia. Collectively, Apple, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon accounted for nearly 70% of the total value in the ranking.
Samsung represented approximately 72% of the combined value of South Korea’s five ranked technology brands. Its US$97.4 billion valuation surpassed the total US$37.9 billion of SK hynix, LG, Coupang, and Naver combined. Samsung’s top-10 placement remains central to South Korea’s third-place position in the global technology brand value ranking. Even with its decline by one spot in the overall technology leaderboard, Samsung posted another annual increase in 2026.