Lightbank Unveils New Startup Lightbank Start

Lightbank, the technology investment vehicle from Groupon

co-founders Brad Keywell and Eric Lefkofsky, has introduced a new startup accelerator called

.

Designed to help young entrepreneurs build a tech startup with the help and support of Keywell and Lefkofsky, Lightbank Start provides CS majors (or those with equivalent mad tech skills) with the opportunity to receive $100,000 in funding. By signing with Lightbank Start, entrepreneurs will be able to work with the firm in its Chicago office as part of a 50/50 partnership. Interested parties are encouraged to create a video and share their story with Lightbank. Entrepreneurs can

at

. On Twitter, the startup community has been

waiting for

regarding Lightbank Start. After the announcement, Facebook

users provided both positive and negative remarks regarding the new accelerator. "$100k to give away half of your company?" Alex Haefner ‎

. "THIS IS MADNESS." But Alex Southern took a more positive stance, asking, "In my next life can I be Eric Lefkofsky? He wins on every deal ;)" Ultimately, Lightbank said that its goal is to help "the best young tech talent in the country realize their dream of entrepreneurship," the company wrote on its site. "Create your own path, build the next big tech company." The new venture will primarily target undergraduates with drive and ability to apply knowledge to company initiatives, while maintaining a ready-to-learn attitude. Positions at the new Lightbank start-up are comparable to those at famed technology giants Facebook, Google

and Microsoft

. In May 2011, Benzinga was welcomed into the Lightbank family with a

.