Yeah Kobe would not make good jerky (too much fat), you want the meat as lean as possible. I have a dehydrator and make my own from time to time and its far and away better than anything I've ever bought at the store. The recipe I use is Cliff's Fantastic Jerky, google it up.
Start your own kickstarter. 120k is nothing to sneeze at! Or have Jerky Kickstarters been ruined forever now?