Healthcare Startups Hit By Government Shutdown

Healthcare startups slowed

The Wild West just got a teensy bit less wild, thanks to our Nation's Capitol.

The government shutdown, as it turns out, is actually affecting some Silicon Valley startups. Especially ironic is that - as Obamacare launches - it's hitting extra hard when it comes to healthcare startups.

At the recent Health 2.0 conference, startups got a chance to show off how they plan to change the healthcare game. Companies like Berkeley-based Silicon BioDevices, which makes a small piece of hardware that can do a quick test for many diseases. A good idea, with lots of promise, but a company that's also counting on a government grant to help get off the ground.

No government, no grant. Bad news for Silicon BioDevices.

Not that the company is packing things up just yet. It's still optimistic about its future, but as the company's Chief Business Officer Tayson Siegel says, "as a company, we're waiting to hear about our grant, to prove the concept. If the Government is not functioning, it won't be handing out those grants."

The mood of the conference was a little frustrated. after all, these are the companies that are supposed to lead the healthcare revolution. Now, the Government mess that they're trying to fix has to pause ... because of another Government mess.

Scott is on Twitter: @scottbudman

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