Maybe I am the only one, but I thought the headline meant they turned down $250,000 worth of funding. In reality, they turned down a buyout offer for $250,000.
$250,000 is certainly not chump change for most people, but it's not a fortune in the startup world. They did the right thing by turning it down. If their product is good they should be able to make that back + more in a year or two.