SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA / RankWire.AI / – Samsung Group’s brand value rose to US$97.4 billion in 2026, according to the latest Brand Finance technology ranking. The valuation increased 8.9% from US$89.4 billion in the previous year. Samsung ranked eighth among the world’s most valuable technology brands. It slipped one place despite recording a higher brand value. The company also remained the only South Korean name within the global technology top 10.
The total value of the world’s 100 leading technology brands reached US$3.7 trillion. That represented a 15% increase from US$3.2 trillion in 2025. Apple retained first place, followed by Microsoft and Google. Nvidia advanced to fifth after its brand value more than doubled to US$184.3 billion. The chipmaker’s rise changed the order of the top 10 and moved Samsung down one position. US companies still represented the largest share of the overall ranking.
Five South Korean technology brands appeared in the 2026 table. Together, they recorded a combined brand value of US$135.3 billion, up 8% from last year. South Korea ranked third by total technology brand value, behind the US and China. SK hynix placed 28th with US$15.8 billion. LG ranked 44th at US$9.6 billion. Coupang reached US$8.8 billion, while Naver placed 95th with a value of US$3.7 billion.
Semiconductor operations lift Samsung valuation
Brand Finance connected Samsung’s increase with its scale in memory chips and semiconductors. Demand for advanced memory products also formed part of the assessment. Samsung maintains major businesses in smartphones, televisions, home appliances, semiconductors and digital services. These operations extend the brand across consumer electronics and business technology. The US$97.4 billion estimate reflects the economic value of the Samsung brand. It does not measure market capitalization, annual revenue, factories or other physical assets.
The valuation uses a royalty relief method that estimates the value of licensing a brand. Analysts review marketing investment, stakeholder perceptions and business performance. They then assign a brand strength score and determine an appropriate royalty rate. That rate applies to projected revenue linked to the brand. The calculation discounts expected after-tax earnings to their present value. Brand Finance follows the ISO 10668 framework when producing its monetary brand valuations.
Top brands retain commanding market share
Technology companies continued to hold most positions near the top of global brand rankings. Seven technology names appeared in the broader Global 500 top 10. Apple remained the most valuable brand overall, with Microsoft in second place. Artificial intelligence infrastructure and semiconductor companies posted some of the largest gains. Nvidia led that group, while Broadcom and AMD also recorded strong growth. Apple, Microsoft, Google and Amazon accounted for nearly 70% of the Technology 100’s combined value.
Samsung represented about 72% of the total value assigned to South Korea’s five ranked technology brands. Its US$97.4 billion valuation exceeded the combined US$37.9 billion value of SK hynix, LG, Coupang and Naver. That gap made Samsung the largest contributor to South Korea’s third-place national position. The company recorded another year of brand value growth in 2026. However, faster gains by higher-ranked technology companies resulted in Samsung falling from seventh to eighth place.