Millton, our chat-based AI for analysts, helps government teams explore commercial data and find options that fit their mission needs. Teams often come to Millton with a specific requirement, such as finding data on vessel activity around a port or identifying sources for a supply chain investigation. But many begin with a simpler question: What data is available and how can it add value?
The answers help teams understand which sources could support an investigation, how to assess their coverage and relevance, and how to acquire and use the data. They also explain the infrastructure behind that process, including the vendor relationships, licensing terms, and delivery methods that connect a mission requirement to usable commercial data.
Below, we answer some of the common questions customers ask Millton, covering what Grist Mill does, what’s available through the Mill, and how teams can get started.
Grist Mill helps government teams discover, evaluate, and acquire commercial data that fits their mission needs. Our Commercial Data Infrastructure supplies the vendor relationships, licensing, and workflows behind that process, so teams don’t have to rebuild them for every mission.
The Mill lets you search the catalog, evaluate potential sources, and acquire data for your mission. If you need help finding a starting point, you can ask Millton in plain language. Millton, our AI assistant, can turn a mission requirement, such as vessel activity around a port of interest, into relevant vendors, evaluated options, and a tailored data solution. Once you decide what fits your needs, the data is delivered through APIs, streaming, or other methods.
The Mill lets you compare data options, review available samples and pricing, and acquire data through one standardized agreement, which reduces the work of sourcing and licensing from individual vendors. Acquisition is anonymous, so vendors never learn which country, agency, or program is buying. You also receive perpetual rights to the data you license and own every derivative product you create.
The Mill brings together 375+ vetted commercial data vendors in one marketplace. Vendors are chosen based on their data quality and relevance to mission needs, giving you a competitive market of options rather than a single vendor’s data lake. Each one reaches government customers through infrastructure that handles licensing, acquisition, and secure delivery.
The Mill offers data covering areas such as global trade, supply chains, company activity, satellite imagery, and maritime operations. Thousands of mission-focused datasets are available, including vessel tracking, port activity, import and export shipment records, and corporate ownership structures. Many arrive in real time through APIs and streaming.
The catalog is organized into 26 customer-focused categories across six themes: Security, Intelligence & Risk; Open Source, Media & Documents; Geospatial & Telemetry; Business, Finance & Trade; Foreign Consumer Data; and Data for Building & Training. Categories range from cyber threat intelligence and maritime and vessel data to financial markets and weather and climate data, so teams can browse by mission area. Every category is backed by vetted vendors.