The Global Tech Brand That Started Out As A Grocery Store

Tech empires are supposed to start in garages, right? A young founder, a rough prototype, maybe some venture capital magic, and boom: world domination. But not every giant fits that mold. One of the most powerful names in consumer tech today, Samsung, didn't invent a product or disrupt an industry. It just ... changed course.

The company that would one day rival Apple began in 1938 in Daegu, Korea, trading noodles, dried fish, and other basic goods across regional markets. Founder Lee Byung-chul didn't have a tech vision board or engineering pedigree. What he did have was a knack for scale and a belief in long-term ambition. Even the name "Samsung," meaning "three stars," was chosen to signal something that would last.

Electronics didn't come into the picture until the late 1960s. But by then, Samsung had already built up one key advantage: infrastructure. Samsung understood logistics, supply chains, and market expansion; these skills translated surprisingly well when it launched its first black and white TVs and home appliances. So yes, it's a wild transformation, but it also makes sense. Samsung didn't succeed because it started in tech; it succeeded because it knew how to grow, pivot, and bet big. And that mindset would take the company far beyond groceries.

Under the Samsung Group umbrella, the company has quietly expanded into industries most people don't associate with a tech brand and the scale is staggering. For starters, Samsung Heavy Industries is one of the largest shipbuilders in the world. It produces everything from massive container ships to advanced LNG carriers, helping power global trade.

Then there's Samsung C&T, the group's construction division, which played a role in building iconic landmarks like the Petronas Towers in Malaysia and the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. At home in South Korea, Samsung has built apartment buildings and commercial complexes, reshaping city skylines in the process.

Perhaps the most unexpected part of the Samsung portfolio is Everland — a full-blown theme park just outside Seoul. It's South Korea's largest, offering roller coasters, animal exhibits, and seasonal festivals. Yes, Samsung even has a stake in family entertainment. So while most people know Samsung for what's in their pocket or in their kitchen, the company's real strength lies in how far it has stretched. From noodles to microchips to megastructures, Samsung has shown that no industry is off the table — and no goal is out of reach.