Lightbank, the tech investment fund started by Groupon co-founders Eric Lefkofsky and Brad Keywell, has put an undisclosed amount into Benzinga. Benzinga is a financial media start-up that provides online streaming news, trading ideas, commentary and analyst ratings. The company will use the new money to add staff, and expand its technology. Benzinga has offices in Delaware, Michigan and Chicago.

Gtrot, the site that intertwines social networking with travel sharing businesses, has locked down growth capital in the form of a Series A VC round from Lightbank. The company launched in late 2009, and is led by Brittany Laughlin and Zachary Smith. Specifics on the deal were not released.

Investment fund Lightbank, which was started by Groupon co-founders Eric Lefkofsky and Brad Keywell, will bring Bill Pescatello on board as a principal, the firm announced. Pescatello has worked with NBCUniversal and was founding member of Peacock Equity Fund, NBCU’s VC arm.

Groupon co-founders Brad Keywell and Eric Lefkofsky joined VC Lightbank in committing $1.2 million to social business startup DoubleDutch, it was announced today. The company will boost its platform to allow enterprises to launch geosocial applications with the funding. Prior investors include Charles River Ventures, Launch Capital, Accelerator Ventures, Venture51 and Zig Capital.

The venture capital business is rooted in personal relationships. Not only do many firms refuse to meet with founders who aren’t referred to them by someone in their network, but their strong preference is to back entrepreneurs who they’ve funded before. That’s a good thing for the Chevy Chase, Md.-based firm New Enterprise Associates, which [...]

Where I’ve Been, a Chicago-based social travel network, has raised an undisclosed amount of VC funding from Lightbank, a new investment vehicle formed by Groupon founders Eric Lefkofsky and Brad Keywell.

Read the Chicago papers, and you’re a lot less likely to read about a new entrepreneur on any given day than sales for fast-food giant McDonald’s Corp., based in nearby Oak Brook, Il. It’s enough to make Eric Lefkofsky, a highly successful serial entrepreneur and investor, want to scream. “Chicago is an incredible city,” he [...]