AUSTIN — Our phones can hold thousands of different contacts now. Just because a number is saved in your phone, however, doesn’t mean you necessarily remember who that person is, or why they might be calling you.

A new startup called Thread attempts to correct that problem, replacing your existing Caller ID with a customized screen that shows you not only who is calling you, but also that person’s latest Twitter and Facebook posts, and your most recent text and emails with that person. When you answer a call that information is still visible, allowing you to reference an email, tweet, or post quickly while chatting. The Brooklyn-based company is a 2013 SXSW Accelerator finalist.

“Thread is the only App of it’s kind that lets you see 'pure' content streams of full text and images from Twitter and Facebook within the app, which eliminates the promotional tweets and posts that clutter your Facebook and Twitter streams, “ Bradlee Benn, Managing partner for Sprezzat, the parent company of Thread, told Mashable.

Benn says that the company was founded when its CEO James Lawrence realized that every time someone’s phone rings they look at the screen, making those receiving calls a highly captive audience.

“This completely untapped mobile real estate — the incoming call screen — could be customized with targeted content, making each call more engaging and useful,” says Benn. “There are over 2 billion mobile phone calls made every day in the U.S., so there is a huge opportunity to forever change the simple experience of receiving a phone call.”

Sprezzat is currently funded by friends and family. The company is seeking additional funding.

You can check out a beta version of the app now for Android. The company plans to launch an iOS version of the app soon, as well as add integration for additional networks such as LinkedIn, Instagram and Evernote.

Thumbnail image courtesy of Flickr, Clemson; Screenshots and video courtesy of Spreezat