SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA / RankWire.AI / – According to Brand Finance, the valuation of Samsung Group’s brand hit US$97.4 billion in 2026. This marks an 8.9% increase from US$89.4 billion in the previous year. 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 global top 10. This result maintains Samsung’s position among a group predominantly composed of major US technology corporations.
The report estimated the combined value of the top 100 technology brands worldwide at US$3.7 trillion, representing a 15% rise from US$3.2 trillion in 2025. US-based companies accounted for over 75% of this total, with 46 firms featured in the list. Leading the ranking were Apple, Microsoft, and Google. Nvidia advanced three spots to fifth place after its brand value more than doubled to US$184.3 billion. Despite Samsung’s valuation increase, its ranking fell one position as Nvidia’s growth pushed it lower.
South Korea’s five top-ranked technology brands together held a valuation of US$135.3 billion, up 8% from the previous year. This placed South Korea third globally, behind the US and China. SK hynix’s value increased by 15%, reaching US$15.8 billion, ranking 28th. LG experienced a 9% decline to US$9.6 billion, placing 44th. Naver’s value rose 11% to US$3.7 billion, while Coupang grew 10% to US$8.8 billion.
Semiconductors Drive Brand Valuation
Brand Finance attributed Samsung’s growth primarily to its leadership in memory chips and semiconductors. The report also emphasized that demand for advanced memory solutions has played a key role in boosting the brand’s valuation. Samsung’s diversified business spans semiconductors, smartphones, televisions, home appliances, and digital services, giving it a strong foothold across consumer and enterprise technology markets. The US$97.4 billion valuation reflects the worth of Samsung’s brand alone, not its market capitalization, revenue, or physical assets.
The valuation methodology employed by Brand Finance adopts a royalty relief approach aligned with the ISO 10668 standard. The process begins with an assessment of marketing investment, stakeholder equity, and business performance. Analysts then determine a royalty rate based on the brand’s strength and industry context. This rate is applied to project brand-related revenue, which is then discounted to present value along with after-tax earnings. The resulting estimate represents the economic benefit a company could realize through licensing its brand on the open market.
Technology Sector Continues to Lead Global Rankings
In 2026, technology firms maintained their dominance in the broader global brand rankings. Seven of the top 10 most valuable brands in the Brand Finance Global 500 originated from the technology sector. Apple remained the world’s top brand, with Microsoft in second place. The Technology 100 also saw significant growth among artificial intelligence infrastructure and semiconductor companies, with Broadcom and AMD among the fastest-growing brands after Nvidia. Collectively, Apple, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon accounted for nearly 70% of the total value in the ranking.
Samsung’s valuation represented approximately 72% of the combined worth of South Korea’s five ranked technology brands. Its US$97.4 billion valuation surpassed the combined US$37.9 billion of SK hynix, LG, Coupang, and Naver. As a result, Samsung’s top-10 position remains a key component of South Korea’s third-place standing in global technology brand value. The 2026 rankings saw Samsung’s valuation increase again, even as it slipped one place in the overall global technology ranking.