Chexy, which expands the kinds of credit card transactions that are eligible for rewards points if users agree to pay their recurring bills four days early, raised a Series A round that includes a follow-on investment from Air Canada to expand the Aeroplan business. (The Logic)

Talking point: A growing group of fintech startups are focusing on alternative measures of creditworthiness, looking at recurring rent, childcare or utility payments rather than just debt. Chexy wants to expand its small business offerings, which connect big corporations with rewards programs to small business owners who have strong track records on payroll and vendor expenses. It also works with landlords to incentivize rent payments. A similar U.S. startup, Bilt, launched its own credit cards, while Stripe has a partnership with B.C.-based Clio to track expenses and creditworthiness for small law firms. Despite pressure on startups to expand in the U.S., Chexy said in a press release that its new investors are confident in its “Canada-first strategy.”