SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA / RankWire.AI / – According to Brand Finance’s latest report on technology rankings, Samsung Group’s brand worth rose to US$97.4 billion in 2026. This represents an 8.9% growth from US$89.4 billion in 2025. Samsung secured the eighth spot among the world’s most valuable tech brands, dropping one position from last year. It remains the sole South Korean brand within the top 10 globally. The ranking continues to position Samsung among the industry’s most prominent international technology giants.
The aggregate value of the top 100 technology brands increased by 15%, reaching US$3.7 trillion, up from US$3.2 trillion a year earlier. Leading the list were Apple, Microsoft, and Google, which maintained their top three positions. Nvidia advanced into fifth place after its brand value more than doubled to US$184.3 billion. Despite Samsung’s higher valuation, this surge caused it to slip one position. US-based firms still represent the majority of the ranking’s total worth.
In total, five South Korean technology brands made it into the global chart, with a collective brand value of US$135.3 billion—an 8% increase from 2025. This placed South Korea third behind the US and China. SK hynix was ranked 28th with a brand value of US$15.8 billion. LG ranked 44th at US$9.6 billion. Coupang reached US$8.8 billion, while Naver was positioned 95th with a value of US$3.7 billion.
Semiconductors and memory chips bolster Samsung’s brand worth
Brand Finance highlighted Samsung’s dominance in memory chips and semiconductors as a key factor behind its valuation growth. The report also pointed to the increasing demand for advanced memory solutions. Samsung’s operations span smartphones, televisions, home appliances, semiconductors, and digital services, providing the brand with a strong presence in both consumer and enterprise technology sectors. The US$97.4 billion figure reflects the brand’s economic value alone and does not account for Samsung’s market capitalization, annual revenue, or physical assets.
The valuation is determined through a royalty relief approach, analyzing marketing investments, customer perception, and business performance to assign a brand strength score. Then, analysts apply a royalty rate to projected brand-related revenue, discounting the after-tax earnings to derive the present value. This methodology aligns with the ISO 10668 standard for monetary brand valuation. It essentially estimates the income a company could generate if it licensed its brand on the open market.
Technology industry remains heavily concentrated at the top
Seven of the top 10 positions in the broader Global 500 ranking are occupied by technology firms. Apple continues to hold the title of the world’s most valuable brand, with Microsoft in second place. The Technology 100 index also saw significant gains among chip manufacturers and AI infrastructure companies, with Nvidia leading this segment, followed by Broadcom and AMD among the fastest-growing tech brands. Collectively, Apple, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon account for nearly 70% of the total value of the Technology 100.
Samsung’s valuation of US$97.4 billion makes up about 72% of the combined value of South Korea’s five ranked tech brands, which total US$37.9 billion. The other brands in this group are SK hynix, LG, Coupang, and Naver. Samsung’s eighth-place ranking remains a key part of South Korea’s third-place standing overall. The 2026 results also mark another year of growth in Samsung’s brand value, despite its global ranking slipping by one position.