Businessman Gareth Sheridan has said that he is seeking the presidency to speak out for young people in Ireland who "are completely disenfranchised".
"There's nothing to vote for. They don't have a voice, and they're not listened to," he told RTÉ's News at One.
He said that he is committed to "giving the younger generations who are the engine room of the country a voice," "the under 40s who can't buy a home".
"I want to be a representative for everyone," the 35-year-old, who is from Terenure in Co Dublin, added.
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Former MEP Mairead McGuinness will represent Fine Gael while Independent TD Catherine Connolly launched her bid for the Áras last month.
There is considerable speculation that other candidates may soon join the fray.
Asked which councils are supporting his candidacy, Gareth Sheridan replied: "I can say that I'm very confident that we have at least four proposers and seconders".
He will "be reaching out to the councils directly now to secure that nomination", having "been primarily speaking with Independents".
Having built up a successful pharma firm in the US, Mr Sheridan said that he and his young family have "returned home now" and are "establishing ourselves back in Dublin again", something he knows "so many others" are unable to do.
He said that he was inspired to run in part by "the nurses in Australia holding up signs asking for a reason to come home".
"I think there's a real division in the country now that's quite concerning and troubling," he added.
Insisting that Ireland "is on the brink of being the perfect economy, perfect country", Mr Sheridan revealed that he will be funding his campaign "from my savings".
"It's not in my personality to sit back idle and, you know, watch from afar as a situation unfolds, if I think I can add benefit to it."
"Over the last year, I've been working on this quite diligently and coming at it with a real focus," he said of his presidential bid.
"I'm a very proud Irish person. I think the time has never been more important on our history for a young president, particularly with how younger people in this country are feeling," Mr Sheridan added.
"I did what's ingrained in our DNA historically is that we all go and we spend our time abroad, but only recently has your bank account dictated if you can come home."
"I’m really troubled by the fact that we've created almost this 'getting to know your grandparents through an iPad’ culture," he said.
Mr Sheridan said that he had not asked for advice from Seán Gallagher, a former presidential candidate who, at one stage, was president of the board of Nutriband.
Asked if he would sell his shares in Nutriband, Mr Sheridan said he would "continue to have a stake in the company".
"And I know there are certain limitations that would be discussed at the proper time," he added.
He acknowledged that Nutriband had been investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission after "we had a disclosure in one of our filings that we rectified" regarding "incorrect information" the company had "put out".
The process "was a bit drawn out," he said.
President Michael D Higgins is "the grandfather of Ireland" who has "done an excellent job", Mr Sheridan said.
However, he added: "I don't believe the position of President should be that of a politician."
Mr Sheridan revealed that he has never been a member of a political party, nor was he active in student politics.
"I think it's important that the only candidates we consider in this upcoming election don't come from only within party ranks...because the people of Ireland should choose the President of Ireland and not the people of Leinster House.
"I don't think transitioning now to affiliate with a party would make sense," he said.
