Samsung
“Can Samsung convert its 300M+ active Galaxy device installed base into a durable embedded finance revenue stream spanning payments, BNPL, device insurance, and B2B credit — replicating Apple's financial services playbook on Android?”
Founded in 1969 as a consumer electronics manufacturer, Samsung Electronics grew into the world's dominant smartphone and memory-chip producer under Lee Kun-hee's leadership. Beginning around 2015, Samsung began building an embedded finance layer on top of its device ecosystem — launching Samsung Pay (mobile wallet), then Samsung Wallet (unified digital asset store), and more recently Samsung Care+ (device protection/insurance) and Samsung Business Financing (B2B credit). The strategy mirrors Apple's: monetize the hardware installed base with payments, lending, and protection products rather than building a standalone fintech. The AI chip supercycle of 2025-2026 has simultaneously driven Samsung's core semiconductor business to record valuations, adding capital to invest in expanding the financial services layer.