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Lightbank funds Chicago startup OpenChime

Every week, hundreds of business proposals for startups pour into the online mailbox of Chicago technology investment firm Lightbank, whose portfolio companies include Groupon and Echo Global Logistics. This entrepreneurial equivalent of a book publisher's slush pile is a "black hole" at most venture capital outfits, said Lightbank partner Paul Lee. But at Lightbank, the online submissions pool helped Lee discover OpenChime, a Chicago startup that allows consumers to request information and price quotes from providers of a host of services, from lawn maintenance to music lessons.